Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
||
| Reference Number | 2002-7-39-1-3 | |
| Title | Feasibility of Sustainable Hydrogen Production from Starch Industry co-products | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Hydrogen, Hydrogen production) 100%; | |
| Research Types | Basic and strategic applied research 50%; Applied Research and Development 50%; |
|
| Science and Technology Fields | PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Physics) 50%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 50%; |
|
| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Professor F (Freda ) Hawkes No email address given School of Applied Sciences University of Glamorgan |
|
| Award Type | 3 | |
| Funding Source | Carbon Trust | |
| Start Date | 01 June 2003 | |
| End Date | 30 May 2004 | |
| Duration | 12 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £64,850 | |
| Industrial Sectors | ||
| Region | Wales | |
| Programme | ||
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Professor F (Freda ) Hawkes , School of Applied Sciences, University of Glamorgan (99.998%) |
| Other Investigator | Project Contact , Rank Hovis Ltd (0.001%) Project Contact , Hydrogen Solar Ltd (0.001%) |
|
| Web Site | ||
| Objectives | The project assesses the potential for hydrogen production by fermentation of starch-based food industry co-products. This novel fermentation process uses naturally-occurring bacteria, non-sterile feedstock and mesophilic temperatures and has the capacity to generate hydrogen from a resource not currently used for energy production. | |
| Abstract | Hydrogen is currently produced industrially in large quantities from fossil fuels, most commonly by steam reforming of natural gas to form hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Emissions of the latter contribute to climate change. Thus sustainable methods of production are required if hydrogen is to replace fossil fuels in a move towards a hydrogen economy. The production of hydrogen renewably by fermentation is investigated in this project. The ability of pure cultures of bacteria to produce hydrogenfrom sterilised carbohydrates by batch fermentation is well known. However, from an engineering viewpoint an easily obtainable, mixed bacterial population operating continuously on non-sterile feedstock to yield hydrogen is required. The flour milling/baking industry in the UK produces over one million tonnes per year of non-food-grade complex co-products from flour production, containing starch, cellulose and hemicelluloses, plus starchy material from the bakeries. A laboratory demonstrationhas shown that starch co-products can be fermented to produce hydrogen continuously. Hydrogen production from a complex bran-type co-product is now being investigated. This project investigates suitable start-up procedures and the conditions that give stable, continuous operation with the greatest hydrogen yield. The technical feasibility of this novel technology and its contribution to the low carbon economy will be assessed. If the process shows promise, the next stage will be pilot-scale testing, leading to the design of a plant at a starch-based food factory, to produce hydrogen for use by, for example, a transport fleet | |
| Publications | (none) |
|
| Final Report | (none) |
|
| Added to Database | 01/01/07 | |
