Effects of Hydrogen Partial Pressure on Fermentative Biohydrogen Production by a Chemotropic Clostridium Bacterium in a New Horizontal Rotating Cylinder Reactor

AbstractIn order to produce fermentative biohydrogen at high yields and production rates, efficient bioreactors have to be designed. A new reactor called anaerobic biodisc reactor allowed the production of biohydrogen from glucose with the selected Clostridium sp. strain at high yields (2.49 molH2·molglucose-1) and production rates (598 mlH2 medium h-1). The bacteria were fixed on a rotating support enabling efficient gas transfer from the liquid to the phase. It allowed the metabolism of the bacteria to produce more hydrogen. Moreover, an increase of the total pressure 0.18bar lowered the yields of 19.5% while a decrease of 0.11bar increased the yields of 7%. Our work concludes on the importance of providing good liquid to gas transfers in the biohydrogen-producing reactors