Applied Microbiology, Lund University, Getingevägen 60, 222 41, Lund, Sweden.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2013 Sep;97(18):7999-8009. doi: 10.1007/s00253-013-5141-1. Epub 2013 Aug 16.
Apart from being applied as an energy carrier, hydrogen is in increasing demand as a commodity. Currently, the majority of hydrogen (H2) is produced from fossil fuels, but from an environmental perspective, sustainable H2 production should be considered. One of the possible ways of hydrogen production is through fermentation, in particular, at elevated temperature, i.e. thermophilic biohydrogen production. This short review recapitulates the current status in thermophilic biohydrogen production through fermentation of commercially viable substrates produced from readily available renewable resources, such as agricultural residues. The route to commercially viable biohydrogen production is a multidisciplinary enterprise. Microbiological studies have pointed out certain desirable physiological characteristics in H2-producing microorganisms. More process-oriented research has identified best applicable reactor types and cultivation conditions. Techno-economic and life cycle analyses have identified key process bottlenecks with respect to economic feasibility and its environmental impact. The review has further identified current limitations and gaps in the knowledge, and also deliberates directions for future research and development of thermophilic biohydrogen production.
除了作为能源载体外，氢气作为商品的需求也在不断增加。目前，大部分氢气（H2）是由化石燃料生产的，但从环境角度来看，应考虑可持续的氢气生产。氢气生产的一种可能途径是发酵，特别是在高温下，即嗜热生物制氢。本文简要综述了通过发酵利用商业上可行的可再生资源（如农业废弃物）生产的可利用底物来生产嗜热生物氢气的现状。商业上可行的生物氢气生产途径是一个多学科的企业。微生物学研究指出了产氢微生物在某些理想生理特性方面的优势。更多面向过程的研究确定了最佳适用的反应器类型和培养条件。技术经济和生命周期分析确定了经济可行性及其环境影响方面的关键工艺瓶颈。本文进一步确定了目前知识的局限性和差距，并讨论了未来嗜热生物制氢的研究和发展方向。
