Biohydrogen production from starch wastewater and application in fuel cell

Biohydrogen was produced from starch in wastewater by anaerobic fermentation. The effects of parameters, such as pH, starch concentration were investigated and optimum operating conditions were determined. The optimal pH and starch concentration for hydrogen production at 37 °C were 6.5 and 5 g/L, respectively with a maximum hydrogen yield of 186 ml/g-starch. The produced biogas contains 99% of hydrogen after passing through KOH solution to remove CO2. The anaerobic fermentation installation was integrated with a proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system for on-line electricity generation. This combination system of biohydrogen and fuel cell achieved a power output of 0.428 W at 0.65 V per cell.