Hydrogen Production in Bioreactors: Current Trends

It is possible to design bioreactors for large-scale H2 production using microorganisms. Bioreactors can be distinguished based on the nature of H2 production: bioreactors with H2 production in the darkness by bacteria via water-gas shift reaction or fermentation and photobioreactors with H2 production from H2O using solar light by cyanobacteria or green algae. Hydrogen produced in a “water-gas shift reaction” or from glycerol is clean for injection into fuel cells. Fermenters or bioreactors with immobilized cells are used for H2 production in the darkness. Research efforts are concentrated on designing tubular or plastic bag photobioreactors incorporating green algae and cyanobacteria.