Blue-Green Algae Hydrogen Production, an Evaluation of

a New Source of Energy

Filamentous, Blue green algae 

Rodriguez-Gallegos Hugo B.
 
Introduction

• The scarceness of fossil based fuels and the environmental

impact produced by the conventional sources of energy over
the planet, as led new work research to seek new sustainable
sources of energy.

• New sources of energy should be evaluated and developed in

terms of efficiency, affordability, and safety.
 Hydrogen as source of energy
• Hydrogen as new energy source appears to be efficient in
comparison to other closer compounds such as acetylene
were its energy production is 11,800 Joules/gr C2H2
against 24,000 Joules/gr H2 (Robert, Zweig, 1982).
• Hydrogen is one of the most efficient and clean desired
energy sources (Robert, Zweig, 1982).
• Hydrogen is found as one of the most abundant
compounds that human could use as source of energy,
which provide a longer sustainable source of resources
than fossils fuel derived.
Blue Green Algae as Source of Energy
A few candidates systems have been studied using bio-systems.

(1) Hydrogenase- mediated H2 production by green algae,

(2) Nitrogenase-catalyzed photo-production of H2 by blue-
green algae,
(3) Combined systems of algae and bacteria and
(4) Artificial reconstituted systems of photosynthesis
components, ferredoxin and hydrogenase
(Miura et al., 1979).
Process in Natural Conditions

(Philip S. 1998)
Nitrogen Starving Conditions

(Miura et al., 1979)

Limitations
• In comparison with other systems this type of hydrogen
source still needs to minimize costs. Cost of light from
electricity sources could be replaced by solar energy (Miura
et al., 1979).
• Dawar S. (1998) developed a bioreactor using Nostoc spp. to
increase not only hydrogen production but also electricity
generation. Dawar S. used enrichment techniques to
increase the bio fuel production and allow the
commercialization of the bioreactor.
• (As electricity source)Low cost fuel cell with hight
efficiency of current out put is needed to achieve a profitable
source of hydrogen using algae (Dawar S. et al., 1998).
 More Research Needed

• The actual most benefic method to produce hydrogen

appears to be the uses of photovoltaic electrolysis, photo-
biosynthesis, and proteolysis techniques where the sun
plays a major role this according to Robert and Zweig,
(1982).
• It seem that further research could focusing on the
nitrogenase enzyme functions and sugars such as glycogen
and glucose as production booster (Yagishita et al. 1996,
and Dawar et al. 1998) have shown.