Two-phase anaerobic digestion for production of hydrogen–methane mixtures

An anaerobic digestion process to produce hydrogen and methane in two sequential stages was investigated, using two bioreactors of 2 and 15 L working volume, respectively. This relative volume ratio (and shorter retention time in the second, CH4-producing reactor) was selected, in part, to test the assumption that separation of phase can enhance metabolism in the second methane producing reactor. The reactor system was seeded with conventional anaerobic digester sludge, fed with a glucose–yeast extract – peptone medium and operated under conditions of relatively low mixing, to simulate full scale operation. A total of nine steady states were investigated, spanning a range of feed concentrations, dilution rates, feed carbon to nitrogen ratios and degree of integration of the two stages. The performance of this two-stage process and potential practical applications for the production of clean-burning hydrogen–methane mixtures are discussed.