Biological H-2 production using a novel light-induced and diffused photoreactor

A novel light-induced and diffused photobioreactor based on a polyacrylate light-receiving face and modified polyester reflection sheet is described. In it, the photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides RV, produced H-2 from glutamate as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. Light diffusion limit was investigated in terms of light-dependent H-2 production using different culture widths of photobioreactor to show conversion yields of 3.7 to 4.4 mM H-2/mM lactate up to 2 cm culture width. The maximum efficiency of energy conversion to H-2 was 9.23% using 1 cm culture width with illumination of 300 W/m(2) from a halogen lamp. The reactor could be used to study other light-dependent bioreactions.