Using sucrose as a substrate in an anaerobic hydrogen-producing reactor

This study investigated the performance of a Continuous Flow Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) reactor producing hydrogen using sucrose as a substrate. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) effect was also investigated. The hydrogen gas production increased from 4.9 to 26.9 L-H-2/1 per day with a HRT decrease from 13.3 to 3 h, but decreased to 20.8 L-H-2/1 per day with a HRT decrease to 2 h. The digestion gas contained 35similar to47.2% hydrogen and the hydrogen percentage increased with a HRT decrease from 13.3 to 3 h, but decreased markedly at 2 h. Under steady state conditions, the hydrogen production rate (HPR) ranged from 1.42 to 4.52 mol-H-2/mol sucrose and the specific hydrogen production rate ranged from 78 to 841 mmol H-2/g VSS-day. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.