IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v15y2024i1d10.1038_s41467-024-48790-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Biological fermentation pilot-scale systems and evaluation for commercial viability towards sustainable biohydrogen production

Author

Listed:
  • Quanguo Zhang

    (Henan Agricultural University
    Huanghe S & T University)

  • Youzhou Jiao

    (Henan Agricultural University)

  • Chao He

    (Henan Agricultural University)

  • Roger Ruan

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Jianjun Hu

    (Henan Agricultural University)

  • Jingzheng Ren

    (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

  • Sara Toniolo

    (University of Verona)

  • Danping Jiang

    (Henan Agricultural University
    Huanghe S & T University)

  • Chaoyang Lu

    (Henan Agricultural University)

  • Yameng Li

    (Henan Agricultural University
    Huanghe S & T University)

  • Yi Man

    (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

  • Huan Zhang

    (Henan Agricultural University
    Henan Agricultural University)

  • Zhiping Zhang

    (Henan Agricultural University
    Henan Agricultural University)

  • Chenxi Xia

    (Huanghe S & T University)

  • Yi Wang

    (Henan Agricultural University)

  • Yanyan Jing

    (Henan Agricultural University
    Henan Agricultural University)

  • Xueting Zhang

    (Huanghe S & T University)

  • Ruojue Lin

    (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

  • Gang Li

    (Henan Agricultural University)

  • Jianzhi Yue

    (Henan Agricultural University)

  • Nadeem Tahir

    (Henan Agricultural University)

Abstract

Featuring high caloric value, clean-burning, and renewability, hydrogen is a fuel believed to be able to change energy structure worldwide. Biohydrogen production technologies effectively utilize waste biomass resources and produce high-purity hydrogen. Improvements have been made in the biohydrogen production process in recent years. However, there is a lack of operational data and sustainability analysis from pilot plants to provide a reference for commercial operations. In this report, based on spectrum coupling, thermal effect, and multiphase flow properties of hydrogen production, continuous pilot-scale biohydrogen production systems (dark and photo-fermentation) are established as a research subject. Then, pilot-scale hydrogen production systems are assessed in terms of sustainability. The system being evaluated, consumes 171,530 MJ of energy and emits 9.37 t of CO2 eq when producing 1 t H2, and has a payback period of 6.86 years. Our analysis also suggests future pathways towards effective biohydrogen production technology development and real-world implementation.

Suggested Citation

  • Quanguo Zhang & Youzhou Jiao & Chao He & Roger Ruan & Jianjun Hu & Jingzheng Ren & Sara Toniolo & Danping Jiang & Chaoyang Lu & Yameng Li & Yi Man & Huan Zhang & Zhiping Zhang & Chenxi Xia & Yi Wang &, 2024. "Biological fermentation pilot-scale systems and evaluation for commercial viability towards sustainable biohydrogen production," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-48790-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48790-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48790-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-48790-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Maochang Liu & Yubin Chen & Jinzhan Su & Jinwen Shi & Xixi Wang & Liejin Guo, 2016. "Photocatalytic hydrogen production using twinned nanocrystals and an unanchored NiSx co-catalyst," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 1(11), pages 1-8, November.
    2. Ian T. McCrum & Marc T. M. Koper, 2020. "The role of adsorbed hydroxide in hydrogen evolution reaction kinetics on modified platinum," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 5(11), pages 891-899, November.
    3. Trchounian, Karen & Sawers, R. Gary & Trchounian, Armen, 2017. "Improving biohydrogen productivity by microbial dark- and photo-fermentations: Novel data and future approaches," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1201-1216.
    4. Steven Chu & Arun Majumdar, 2012. "Opportunities and challenges for a sustainable energy future," Nature, Nature, vol. 488(7411), pages 294-303, August.
    5. Wang, Zhiwei & Li, Zaifeng & Lei, Tingzhou & Yang, Miao & Qi, Tian & Lin, Lu & Xin, Xiaofei & Ajayebi, Atta & Yang, Yantao & He, Xiaofeng & Yan, Xiaoyu, 2016. "Life cycle assessment of energy consumption and environmental emissions for cornstalk-based ethyl levulinate," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 170-181.
    6. Fu, Qizi & Wang, Dongbo & Li, Xiaoming & Yang, Qi & Xu, Qiuxiang & Ni, Bing-Jie & Wang, Qilin & Liu, Xuran, 2021. "Towards hydrogen production from waste activated sludge: Principles, challenges and perspectives," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    7. Sun, Chihe & Liao, Qiang & Xia, Ao & Fu, Qian & Huang, Yun & Zhu, Xianqing & Zhu, Xun & Wang, Zhengxin, 2020. "Degradation and transformation of furfural derivatives from hydrothermal pre-treated algae and lignocellulosic biomass during hydrogen fermentation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    8. Verma, Aman & Kumar, Amit, 2015. "Life cycle assessment of hydrogen production from underground coal gasification," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 556-568.
    9. Wang, Zhiwei & Lei, Tingzhou & Yang, Miao & Li, Zaifeng & Qi, Tian & Xin, Xiaofei & He, Xiaofeng & Ajayebi, Atta & Yan, Xiaoyu, 2017. "Life cycle environmental impacts of cornstalk briquette fuel in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 83-94.
    10. Bakonyi, P. & Nemestóthy, N. & Simon, V. & Bélafi-Bakó, K., 2014. "Review on the start-up experiences of continuous fermentative hydrogen producing bioreactors," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 806-813.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Łukajtis, Rafał & Hołowacz, Iwona & Kucharska, Karolina & Glinka, Marta & Rybarczyk, Piotr & Przyjazny, Andrzej & Kamiński, Marian, 2018. "Hydrogen production from biomass using dark fermentation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 665-694.
    2. Chen, Long Xiang & Xie, Mei Na & Zhao, Pan Pan & Wang, Feng Xiang & Hu, Peng & Wang, Dong Xiang, 2018. "A novel isobaric adiabatic compressed air energy storage (IA-CAES) system on the base of volatile fluid," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 198-210.
    3. Tao Zhang & Qitong Ye & Zengyu Han & Qingyi Liu & Yipu Liu & Dongshuang Wu & Hong Jin Fan, 2024. "Biaxial strain induced OH engineer for accelerating alkaline hydrogen evolution," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Wang, Yubao & Huang, Xiaozhou & Huang, Zhendong, 2024. "Energy-related uncertainty and Chinese stock market returns," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 62(PB).
    5. Chen, Xuejun & Yang, Yongming & Cui, Zhixin & Shen, Jun, 2019. "Vibration fault diagnosis of wind turbines based on variational mode decomposition and energy entropy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 1100-1109.
    6. Amro Hassanein & Freddy Witarsa & Stephanie Lansing & Ling Qiu & Yong Liang, 2020. "Bio-Electrochemical Enhancement of Hydrogen and Methane Production in a Combined Anaerobic Digester (AD) and Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MEC) from Dairy Manure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-12, October.
    7. Muhammad Habib Ur Rehman & Luigi Coppola & Ernestino Lufrano & Isabella Nicotera & Cataldo Simari, 2023. "Enhancing Water Retention, Transport, and Conductivity Performance in Fuel Cell Applications: Nafion-Based Nanocomposite Membranes with Organomodified Graphene Oxide Nanoplatelets," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-11, November.
    8. Pin Li & Jinsuo Zhang, 2019. "Is China’s Energy Supply Sustainable? New Research Model Based on the Exponential Smoothing and GM(1,1) Methods," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-30, January.
    9. Sung-Fu Hung & Aoni Xu & Xue Wang & Fengwang Li & Shao-Hui Hsu & Yuhang Li & Joshua Wicks & Eduardo González Cervantes & Armin Sedighian Rasouli & Yuguang C. Li & Mingchuan Luo & Dae-Hyun Nam & Ning W, 2022. "A metal-supported single-atom catalytic site enables carbon dioxide hydrogenation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    10. Zheng, Bobo & Xu, Jiuping & Ni, Ting & Li, Meihui, 2015. "Geothermal energy utilization trends from a technological paradigm perspective," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 430-441.
    11. Mao, Guozhu & Zou, Hongyang & Chen, Guanyi & Du, Huibin & Zuo, Jian, 2015. "Past, current and future of biomass energy research: A bibliometric analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 1823-1833.
    12. Seck, Gondia Sokhna & Hache, Emmanuel & D'Herbemont, Vincent & Guyot, Mathis & Malbec, Louis-Marie, 2023. "Hydrogen development in Europe: Estimating material consumption in net zero emissions scenarios," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    13. Yang, Guang & Wang, Jianlong, 2018. "Various additives for improving dark fermentative hydrogen production: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 130-146.
    14. Luo, Rongrong & Wang, Liuwei & Yu, Wei & Shao, Feilong & Shen, Haikuo & Xie, Huaqing, 2023. "High energy storage density titanium nitride-pentaerythritol solid–solid composite phase change materials for light-thermal-electric conversion," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 331(C).
    15. Ewa C. E. Rönnebro & Greg Whyatt & Michael Powell & Matthew Westman & Feng (Richard) Zheng & Zhigang Zak Fang, 2015. "Metal Hydrides for High-Temperature Power Generation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-25, August.
    16. Chen, Dongfang & Pan, Lyuming & Pei, Pucheng & Huang, Shangwei & Ren, Peng & Song, Xin, 2021. "Carbon-coated oxygen vacancies-rich Co3O4 nanoarrays grow on nickel foam as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for rechargeable zinc-air batteries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    17. Chang, Chih-Chang & Huang, Wei-Hao & Mai, Van-Phung & Tsai, Jia-Shiuan & Yang, Ruey-Jen, 2021. "Experimental investigation into energy harvesting of NaCl droplet flow over graphene supported by silicon dioxide," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    18. Yong-Qing Yan & Ya Chen & Zhao Wang & Li-Hua Chen & Hao-Lin Tang & Bao-Lian Su, 2023. "Electrochemistry-assisted selective butadiene hydrogenation with water," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    19. Chen, Hao & Wang, Huanran & Li, Ruixiong & Sun, Hao & Ge, Gangqiang & Ling, Lanning, 2022. "Experimental and analytical investigation of near-isothermal pumped hydro-compressed air energy storage system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).
    20. Wang, Jiayu, 2016. "Do light vehicle emissions standards promote environmental goals in Australia?," Conference papers 332692, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-48790-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.