Hydrogen production with high evolution rate and high yield by immobilized cells of hydrogen-producing bacteria strain B49 in a column reactor

To improve the hydrogen evolution rate in continuous hydrogen production of a fermentative hydrogen-producing bacteria strain B49 (AF481148 in EMBL), 4% immobilized cells by polyvinyl alcohol-boric acid method, with the addition of a small amount of calcium alginate in a column reactor obtain hydrogen yield of 2.31 mol H2/mol glucose and hydrogen evolution rate of 1435.4 ml/L culture·h respectively at medium retention time of 2 h with a medium containing l0 g glucose/L. As the cell density in gel beads is increased to 8%, hydrogen yield and hydrogen evolution rate for l0 g glucose/L are 2.34 mol H2/mol glucose and 2912.4 ml/L culture · h respectively at medium retention time of 1 h, and for molasses wastewater COD of 7505.9 mg/L hydrogen production potential of 205.6 ml/g COD and hydrogen evolution rate of 2057.7 ml/L culture·h at hydraulic retention time of 0.75 h are observed. In the continuous culture pH value keeps around 3.9 by self regulation.