Pollution Research Paper

BIOHYDROGEN PRODUCTION USING DISTILLERY SPENT WASH IN A CSTR UNDER MESOPHILIC AND THERMOPHILIC CONDITIONS

ENIYON U.K., ANANTHARAJ C. AND ARUTCHELVAN V.

Abstract

To identify the viability and performance, distillery effluent having very high organic content was studied on continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). Under mesophilic and Thermophilic temperatures, different organic loading rates (OLR), optimum conditions for highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and biogas generation was found at OLR of 3.72 to 42.16 kg COD/ (m3•d) and 4.21 to 43.17 kg COD/(m3•d). Highest COD exertion efficiency was found to be around 70% for OLR of 25.82 kg COD/(m3•d), when hydraulic retention time (HRT) reduced from 24 to 12 h at mesophilic condition. The steady state of hydrogen production was 1360 ml/l•d obtained at the OLR of 25.82 kg COD/(m3•d) with Volatile fatty acids to alkalinity ratio of 2.2 to 0.5 and the hydrogen production of 1130 ml/l.d obtained at the OLR of 28.52 kg COD/(m3•d) with a conversion coefficient of 1.8 to 0.5 Volatile fatty acids to alkalinity ratio were recorded in these stages. The maximum of 70% of the Distillery Spent Wash was converted to hydrogen at the OLR of 25.82 kg COD/(m3•d) at mesophlic conditions with HRT of 12 h and hence the mesophilic condition favoured the hydrogen production from Distillery Spent Wash.