Evaluation of Fermentative Hydrogen Production from Single and Mixed Fruit Wastes

• The economic viability of employing dark fermentative hydrogen from wholefruit wastes as a green alternative to fossil fuels is limited by low hydrogen yield due to theinhibitory effect of some metabolites in the fermentation medium. In exploring means ofincreasing hydrogen production from fruit wastes, including orange, apple, banana, grapeand melon, the present study assessed the hydrogen production potential of singly-fermentedfruits as compared to the fermentation of mixed fruits. The fruit feedstock was subjected tovarying hydraulic retention times (HRTs) in a continuous fermentation process at 55 °C for47 days. The weight distributions of the first, second and third fruit mixtures were 70%,50% and 20% orange share, respectively, while the residual weight was shared equally bythe other fruits. The results indicated that there was an improvement in cumulativehydrogen yield from all of the feedstock when the HRT was five days. Based on the resultsobtained, apple as a single fruit and a fruit mixture with 20% orange share have the mostimproved cumulative hydrogen yields of 504 (29.5% of theoretical yield) and 513 mL/gvolatile solid (VS) (30% of theoretical yield ), respectively, when compared to other fruits.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Industriell bioteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Industrial Biotechnology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

whole fruit wastes; singly-digested fruits

mixing proportion

biohydrogen

retention time

significant effect

Resursåtervinning

Resource Recovery

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)