Biohydrogen production from organic waste and wastewater by dark fermentation

Fossil fuels are limited and global warming due to increased CO2-emissions may lead to worldwide environmental disasters. Therefore energy production from renewable sources is the most important task for the future. The question of whether biohydrogen production by dark fermentation is a promising module for renewable energy production could be answered with this work. An engineered approach was chosen to get more information about the technical feasibility of a process which has been studied intensively in the current decade. Up to now mainly fundamental research on a small lab scale has been carried out. Based on a detailed presentation of anaerobic fundamentals and treatment technologies, and with respect to other renewable hydrogen production processes, several objectives and open questions were found. Only experimental investigations could answer these questions and therefore an ambitious experimental test program was carried out. Three different areas of study were considered: Firstly the development of a batch test system, which should give reliable information of the biohydrogen production potential of a waste substrate. Secondly the realisation of continuous biohydrogen production on a large lab scale with only a minimum of regulation and control mechanisms and thirdly, the implementation of the process into a technical system for pilot plant operation. Within the third option, gas upgrading technologies as well as effluent treatment options were investigated.