Spiral Tubular Bioreactors for Hydrogen Production by Photosynthetic Microorganisms Design and Operation

摘要

Spiral tubular bioreactors were constructed out of transparent PVC tubing for H_2 production applications. Both a cyanobacterial Anabaena variabilis mutant that lacks uptake hydrogenase activity and the photo-synthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sp. CBS were tested in the bioreactors. Continuous H_2 photoproduction at an average rate of 19 mL * min~(-2) * h~(-1) was observed using the A. variabilis mutant under an air atmosphere (without argon sparging or application of a partial vacuum). The cyanobacterial photobioreactor was run continuously for over one month with an average efficiency of light energy conversion to H_2 of 1.4%. Another H_2-producing approach employed a unique type of activity found in a strain of photosynthetic bacteria that shifts CO (and H_2O) into H_2 (and CO_2) in darkness. Continuous dark H_2 production by Rhodobacter sp. CBS from CO (in anticipation of using synthesis gas as the future substrate) at rates up to 140 mL * g cdw~(-1) * h~(-1) was observed in a bubble-train bioreactor for more than 10 d.