Biohydrogen Production from Solid Waste
摘要
The statistics of energy consumption are on constant rise in industrial sectors of developed and developing nations. Carbon-intensified fuels are detrimental to the environment and nonrenewable, bearing high generation cost. This results in the promotion of sustainable and renewable energy sources as an alternative to fossil fuels. Biohydrogen is observed to be a promising eco-friendly, non-carbon-based fuel with high calorific value of 120–142 kJ/g. It produces energy and water on combustion. Lignocellulosic waste and other solid wastes if incinerated emit gases resulting in air pollution and global warming. Thus, the consumption of solid waste for the production of biohydrogen is a promising approach for environmentally secure future. Among all the processes of biological biohydrogen production, dark fermentation process is observed to have high hydrogen production. Biohydrogen production rate and yield are affected by the type of substrate, inoculum source and operating parameters such as temperature, pH, temperature, retention time, etc. The present chapter focuses on technological advancement in biohydrogen production and its yield in association with economic feasibility of biological processes. Further, the challenges that are observed in the development of technology from lab scale to industrial scale are also highlighted. Low-cost hydrogen production technology with high production in agreement with government policies must be focused for future energy production.