BIOHYDROGEN

Project done by:

Potîrniche Andreea
Molența Ana
Novolan Mihai
Pufleanu Ioanis
Pavel Luca
Popescu Andrei

Year I, Groupe 1511b

 1. What is biohydrogen
Interest is high in this technology because H2 is a clean fuel and can be readily produced from
certain kinds of biomass.Many challenges characterize this technology, including those intrinsic
to H2, such as storage and transportation of a noncondensible gas. Hydrogen producing
organisms are poisoned by O2. Yields of H2 are often low. The main reactions involve
fermentation of sugars. Important reactions start with glucose, which is converted to acetic
acid.
The biological hydrogen production with algae is a method of photobiological water splitting
which is done in a closed photobioreactor based on the production of hydrogen as a solar fuel
by algae. Algae produce hydrogen under certain conditions. In 2000 it was discovered that if C.
reinhardtii algae are deprived of sulfur they will switch from the production of oxygen, as in
normal photosynthesis, to the production of hydrogen.

2. H2 properties
Hydrogen is the lightest gas known, and because of its low density, it is used instead of helium
to fill balloons for meteorology. It is colourless, odourless and almost insoluble in water.
Hydrogen forms diatomic molecules H2, and the 2 atoms are joined by a very strong covalent
bond (bond energy 435.9 kJ mol- 1 ). Hydrogen is not very reactive under normal conditions.
The lack of reactivity is due to kinetics rather than thermodynamics and relates to the strength
of the H-H bond. An essential step in H2 reacting with another element is the breaking Of the H-
H bond to produce atoms of hydrogen. This requires 435.9kJ mol-1: hence there is a high
activation energy to such reactions. Consequently many reactions are slow, or require high
temperatures, or catalysts (often transition metals). Many important reactions of hydrogen
involve heterogeneous catalysis, where the catalyst first reacts with H2 and either breaks or
weakens the H-H bond, and thus lowers the activation energy.

Examples include:
1. The Haber process for the manufacture of NH3 from Ni and H2 using a catalyst of activated
Pe at 380-450°C atid 200 atmospheres pressure.
2. The hydrogenation of a variety of unsaturated organic compounds, (including the hardening
of oils), using finely divided Ni, Pd or Pt as catalysts.
3. The production of methanol by reducing CO with H2 over a Cu/Zn catalyst at 300°C.
Thus hydrogen will react directly with most elements under the appropriate
conditions.
Hydrogen bums in air or oxygen, forming water, and liberates a large amount of energy. This is
used in the oxy-hydrogen flame for welding and cutting metals. Temperatures of almost 3000°C
can be attained. Care should be taken with these gases since mixtures of H2 and O2 close to a
2:1 ratio are often explosive.

2H2 + O2 → 2H2O ∆H = -485 kJ mol- 1

Hydrogen reacts with the halogens. The reaction with fluorine is violent, even at fow
temperatures. The reaction with chlorine is slow in the dark, but the reaction is catalysed by
light (photocatalysis), and becomes faster in daylight, and explosive in sunlight. Direct
combination of the elements is used to produce HCl.
H2+ F2 → 2HF
H2 + Cl2 → 2HCl
A number of metals react with H2, forming hydrides. The reactions are not violent, and usually
require a high temperature. These are described in a later section.
Large quantities of H2 are used in the industrial production of ammonia by the Haber process.
The reaction is reversible, and the formation of NH3 is favoured by high pressure, the presence
of a catalyst (Fe), and a low temperature. In practice a high temperature of 380-450°C and a
pressure of 200 atmospheres are used to get a reasonable conversion in a reasonable time.
N2 + 3H2 ↔ 2NH3 ∆G298˚=-33.4kJmol-1
Large amounts of Hz are used for hydrogenation reactions, in which hydrogen is added to a
double bond in an organic compound. An important example is the hardening of fats and oils.
Unsaturated fatty acids are hydrogenated with Hz and a ·palladium catalyst, forming saturated
fatty acids which have higher melting points. By removing double bonds in the carbon chain in
this way, edible oils which are liquid at room temperature
may be converted into fats which are solid at room temperature. The reason for doing this is
that solid fats are more useful than oils, for example in the manufacture of margarine.

CH3-(CH2)n-CH=CH-COOH + H2 → CH3-(CH2)n -CH2-CH2-COOH

Hydrogen is also used to reduce nitrobenzene to aniline (dyestuffs industry), and in the catalytic
reduction of benzene (the first step in the production of nylon-66). It also reacts with CO to
form methyl alcohol.
CO+ 2H2→ CH3OH

The hydrogen molecule is very stable, and has little tendency to dissociate at normal
temperatures, since the dissociation reaction is highly endothermic.
H2 → 2H ∆H= 435.9 kJ mol-1
However, at high temperatures, in an electric arc, or under ultraviolet light, H2 does dissociate.
The atomic hydrogen produced exists for less than half a second, after which it recombines to
give molecular hydrogen and a large amount of heat. This reaction has been used in welding
metals. Atomic hydrogen is a strong reducing agent, and is Gommonly prepared in solution by
means of a zinc-copper couple or a mercury-aluminium couple.
There has been much talk of the hydrogen economy. The idea is that hydrogen could replace
coal and oil as the major source of energy. Burning hydrogen in air or oxygen forms water and
liberates a great deal of energy. In contrast to burning coal or oil in power stations, or petrol or
diesel fuel in motor engines, burning hydrogen produces no pollutants like SO2 and oxides of
nitrogen that are responsible for acid rain, nor CO2 that is responsible for the greenhouse
effect, nor carcinogenic hydrocarbons, nor lead compounds. Hydrogen can be produced readily
by electrolysis, and chemical methods. Hydrogen can be stored and transported as gas in
cylinders, as liquid in very large cryogenic vacuum flasks, or 'dissolved' in various metals. (For
example, the alloy LaNi5 can absorb seven moles of hydrogen per mole of alloy at 2.5
atmospheres pressure and roorn temperature.) Liquid hydrogen is used as a fuel in space
rockets for the Saturn series and the space shuttle in the US space programme. Car engines
have been modified to run on hydrogen. Note that the use of hydrogen involves the risk of an
explosion, but so does the use of petrol.

3. Production of H2
Biohydrogen Production from Algae
The biological hydrogen production with algae is a method of photobiological water splitting
which is done in a closed photobioreactor based on the production of hydrogen as a solar fuel
by algae. Algae produce hydrogen under certain conditions. In 2000 it was discovered that if C.
reinhardtii algae are deprived of sulfur they will switch from the production of oxygen, as in
normal photosynthesis, to the production of hydrogen.

Photosynthesis in cyanobacteria and green algae splits water into hydrogen ions and electrons.
The electrons are transported over ferredoxins. Fe-Fe-hydrogenases (enzymes) combine them
into hydrogen gas. In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Photosystem II produces in direct conversion
of sunlight 80% of the electrons that end up in the hydrogen gas. Light-harvesting complex
photosystem II light-harvesting protein LHCBM9 promotes efficient light energy dissipation. The
Fe-Fe-hydrogenases need an anaerobic environment as they are inactivated by oxygen. Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy is used to examine metabolic pathways.

The chlorophyll (Chl) antenna size in green algae is minimized, or truncated, to maximize
photobiological solar conversion efficiency and H2 production. The truncated Chl antenna size
minimizes absorption and wasteful dissipation of sunlight by individual cells, resulting in better
light utilization efficiency and greater photosynthetic productivity by the green alga mass
culture.

It would take about 25,000 square kilometre algal farming to produce biohydrogen equivalent
to the energy provided by gasoline in the US alone. This area represents approximately 10% of
the area devoted to growing soya in the US.

Biohydrogen Production from Organic Wastes by Dark Fermentation

Hydrogen is considered as the fuel of the future by virtue of the fact that it is carbon-neutral
renewable energy source having the highest energy content per unit mass of any known fuel.
Hydrogen can be produced sustainably by dark, anaerobic bacterial growth on carbohydrate-
rich substrates.
Pure isolates known to produce hydrogen from carbohydrates include species of Enterobacter,
Clostridium, etc. However, mixed cultures are easily obtainable from natural sources and are
able to proliferate on nonsterile feedstock for the degradation of complex organic substrate.
Compared to pure substrates, complex substrates especially different kinds of waste may offer
a sustainable and economical alternative for hydrogen production. However, for maximization
of hydrogen production, the different physicochemical process parameters need to be
determined. In this regard, the various parameters affecting the dark hydrogen production
process include pH, temperature, hydraulic retention time, hydrogen partial pressure, etc.

4. Usage of H2
What is the use of hydrogen gas?
There are a variety of uses for Hydrogen. It is the lightest element and can be used as a lifting
agent in balloons. Since Hydrogen gas is highly flammable, it can be dangerous to use. But this
property and others make Hydrogen suitable for use as a fuel. The most common use of
Hydrogen is in chemical processes and reactions.
Lifting agent
Hydrogen can cause a balloon to lift or float upward in air.
Air consists of about 78% Nitrogen and 21% Oxygen. A Nitrogen atom has an atomic weight or
mass of 14, Oxygen has an atomic mass of 16 and the atomic mass of Hydrogen is 1. All three
are molecules in their natural state: N2, O2, and H2.
Thus, a balloon filled with Hydrogen gas, weighs much less than the air it displaces. This creates
a buoyancy force that pushes the balloon upward.A balloon filled with hydrogen gas (H2) will
readily float upward in air. It seems to be a prime candidate for a lighter-than-air airship, but it
also proved to be too dangerous.
Fuel
Hydrogen can be used as a fuel.
Rockets
Since hydrogen is highly flammable, especially when mixed with pure oxygen, it is used as a fuel
in rockets. Usually, they combine liquid hydrogen with liquid oxygen to make an explosive
mixture.
Unfortunately, in 1986, the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger exploded when a flame accidentally
ignited the liquid hydrogen in an external fuel tank. This again showed that the gas can be
dangerous and cause a disaster in some situations.
Clean fuel for cars
But also, hydrogen is one of the cleanest fuels because when it burns, the result is simple
water. That is why there are efforts to create engines that can power automobiles on hydrogen.
This would greatly help to reduce the air pollution and global warming problems.
Although hydrogen is highly flammable, so also is gasoline. Although care must be taken, the
amount of hydrogen used in an automobile would present no more of a hazard than the
amount of gasoline used.
One problem with using hydrogen to directly power an automobile is that it is very expensive to
create pure hydrogen for this use. Also, the most common method to create hydrogen for use
in cars is with methane (CH4) gas. Although burning the hydrogen is pollution-free, methane is
a major contributor to the greenhouse effect of global warming.
Thermonuclear energy
When hydrogen is heated to extreme temperatures, such as on the Sun, the nuclei of hydrogen
atoms will fuse to create helium nuclei. This fusion results in the release of an enormous
amount of energy, called thermonuclear energy. This process is what creates the energy of the
sun.
By using an Atomic Bomb to create a temperature similar to that on the Sun, thermonuclear
fusion was created on the Earth in the form of a Hydrogen Bomb. This bomb was many times
more powerful than an Atomic Bomb.
Scientists are working on harnessing this energy to be used for peaceful means of creating
inexpensive energy, especially for generating electrical power. Unfortunately, they have not
been able to do this in a usable manner.
Chemical processes
Hydrogen is an essential part of many chemical processes.
Acids and bases
Hydrogen atoms are in every acid and base. Hydrogen gas is sometimes used directly to create
an acid. For example, it is used in the creation of hydrochloric acid:
H2 + Cl2 → 2HCl.
Petroleum
Hydrogen gas is used in the processing of petroleum products to break down crude oil into fuel
oil, gasoline and such.
Fertilizer
Hydrogen is important in creating ammonia (NH3) for use in making fertilizer.
Food and fat
Hydrogen gas is used as a hydrogenating agent to for polyunsaturated fats, such as used in
margarine. But it is also used in making unhealthy trans-fats that are often used in cookies and
other goods.
Summary
Hydrogen was once used in zeppelins and blimps, but it proved too dangerous. Since Hydrogen
gas is highly flammable, it can be suitable for use as a fuel. The most common use of Hydrogen
is in chemical processes and reactions.