Production of Hydrogen from Agricultural Waste

This small business innovative research proposal is directed to methods for generating hydrogen using anaerobic digestion. This patent pending system differs in three ways form other anaerobic systems now being tried: First the substrate to control PH in the digester for hydrogen production will be a waste product: second the digestion and hydrogen production will be high rate and third the process will involve a continuous flow through system rather than a sequencing batch system. The leftover organics from hydrogen production, mainly volatile fatty acids can be converted to methane, which is also a fuel. The key advantage of the process is that hydrogen gas can be made from inexpensive organic materials that are renewable and sustainable using inexpensive hydrogen-producing bacteria. Despite its clean and green nature when utilized in fuel cells and other devices, most hydrogen is currently produced primarily from non-renewable sources, such as natural gas, oil, or coal. The purpose for this proposal is to obtain funds to replicate the successful production of pure hydrogen in the lab where synthetic manure was used; to using agricultural waste products that have little or no value. This innovative process would utilize a new patented anaerobic digester (patent # 6,911,149) called the induced blanket reactor (IBR). The technology for the IBR was developed and patented by Carl and Conly Hansen. If successful the total energy produced by the digester would be higher and the cost of hydrogen production would be lower than that of other anaerobic systems.