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Hydrogen production by cyanobacteria in an automated outdoor photobioreactor under aerobic conditions
Author(s) -
Tsygankov A. A.,
Fedorov A. S.,
Kosourov S. N.,
Rao K. K.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.10431
Subject(s) - photobioreactor , bioconversion , biomass (ecology) , anabaena variabilis , cyanobacteria , bioreactor , hydrogen production , food science , chemistry , pulp and paper industry , botany , hydrogen , biology , fermentation , ecology , bacteria , genetics , organic chemistry , engineering
Abstract The possibility of hydrogen production by a hydrogenase impaired mutant strain of Anabaena variabilis in outdoor culture was studied. A computer‐controlled rooftop (outdoor) tubular photobioreactor (4.35 L) was assembled. H 2 production rates by A. variabilis PK84 grown in CO 2 + air in the photobioreactor were measured together with other parameters such as temperature, irradiance, pH, dry biomass weight, and p O 2 , and Chl a concentrations during summer months of 1998 and 1999. Efficiencies of light energy bioconversion to H 2 energy and energy accumulated in biomass were calculated. The influence of irradiance, temperature, and mode of cultivation on H 2 production and efficiency of light energy bioconversion were evaluated. The culture produced up to 1.1 L H 2 day −1 PhBR −1 . The efficiency of light energy to H 2 energy bioconversion on some days was 0.094%. However, the conditions for maximum H 2 photoproduction and for maximum efficiency of light energy to H 2 energy bioconversion were not the same. A. variabilis PK84 could produce hydrogen for prolonged periods (up to 40 days) without injection of fresh inoculum. During this period photobioreactor produced 24.5 L of H 2 . Possibilities for increasing the efficiency of light energy conversion are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 80: 777–783, 2002.