Date of Award

2009

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.Sc.

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Keywords

Engineering, Environmental.

Supervisor

Jerald Lalman (Civil and Environmental Engineering)

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

Hydrogen is a clean, efficient and versatile energy source which makes it a suitable alternative to fossil fuels. Mixed anaerobic cultures has the potential to produce hydrogen in a sustainable way in methanogenic bacteria can be inhibited. Batch studies were performed to assess the fermentation of glucose and xylose individually and together to observe if the sugar mixture is effective in hydrogen fermentation. Experiments were performed using a variety of LCFAs in order to inhibit methanogens so hydrogen can be collected. The highest amount of hydrogen produced took place in cultures fed LA plus xylose, glucose and the 50%/50% sugar mixture with yields of 2.13+-0.05, 2.46+-0.19 and 2.32+-0.17 mol H2/mol sugar, respectively. The maximum yields generated on a mol hydrogen per mass of sugar was 13.65, 14.20 and 14.08 mmol H2/g sugar for the respective sugars fermented. The final results showed that the ratio of the two different sugars did not have a significant difference in the hydrogen yield.

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