Production of bio-hydrogen and methane during semi-continuous digestion of maize silage in a two-stage system

The feasibility and performance of applying a two-stage configuration for co-production of hydrogen and methane from maize silage in continuously stirred reactors was investigated under mesophilic conditions. The high organic loading used in the first-stage hydrogen producing reactor (e.g. load shock treatment) was effective at ensuring hydrogen-producing conditions, with no methanogenic activity observed for more than 60 days. A hydrogen yield of up to 53.8 NlH2/kg volatile solid (VS) was measured in the first reactor, with a hydrogen content of 33.1%. The methane yield in the second stage reactor was 133.9 NlCH4/kgVS, with a methane content of 65%. Abnormally low concentration of acetic acid and high concentrations of caproic acid were measured in the first reactor in the pH range 5-5.5, which could be explained by the presence of strains such as Clostridium kluyveri. Of the estimated total energy yield in the two-stage system, only 4% was from hydrogen production. The mixture of hydrogen and methane produced in the system (after carbon dioxide removal) is in the range recommended for use as vehicle fuel.