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| Biowaste2energy's technology combines a two-stage fermentation process with patented novel membrane separation technology which permits economically viable yields of hydrogen to be produced from the consumption of food wastes. The bioprocess is based around the principle of combining dark fermentation and photofermentation to achieve an artificial symbiosis, in which two specialized cultures perform opposite but mutually supportive bioconversions. In this way hydrogen can be produced from sugars with high efficiency, approaching 10-12 mol hydrogen per mol hexose sugar, whereas either organism in isolation would be relatively ineffective. Biodegradable waste is initially pretreated to degrade/remove inert materials and to convert semi-inert materials into readily biodegradable substrates. This product is supplied to a bioreactor containing fermentative bacteria, which rapidly consume sugary substrates to produce hydrogen and a mixture of organic products including acetic acid (vinegar). Biowaste2energy’s patented membrane technology removes the organic products, which would otherwise accumulate and inhibit hydrogen production. Simultaneously, a concentrated product stream is generated, which is ideal for conversion to further hydrogen by photosynthetic bacteria. The 2nd bioreactor is, therefore, a photobioreactor, specially adapted to harvest solar energy, needed to drive the bioconversion leaving behind a clean effluent. |
