Biohythane Fuel for the Future

This book is a novel attempt at describing the fundamental aspects of and advancements in the field of biohythane production. The comprehensive collection of chapters is based on the fundamentals of heterotrophic hydrogen production and consequent methane production technologies. Emphasis is on the integration of two stages of a hybrid system for maximum gaseous energy generation from organic wastes, thus making the overall process economically viable. Readers get insight into the technological advancements made in the field of biohydrogen and biomethane production and the challenges involved in integrating these two technologies. The book also includes details of the microbiological, biochemical, and bioprocess aspects related to biohythane production, in addition to the applicability of this process, its socioeconomic concerns, and cost energy analysis, supplemented with illustrative diagrams, flowcharts, and comprehensive tables. It will be an ideal vade mecum for advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level students of biotechnology, microbiology, biochemical engineering, chemical engineering, and energy engineering; teachers and researchers in bioenergy, the environment, and biofuel production; and policy makers.

Introduction Background Necessity of CO2-Neutral Energy Sources Energizing the Future with Alternative Nonconventional/Renewable Energy Sources Role of Biomass and Biotechnological Processes for Renewable Energy Production Biofuels from Organic Wastes Comparative Studies with the Conventional Process Biohythane: Potential as a Future Fuel Conclusion References Microbiology of the Biohythane Production Process Introduction Hydrogen Production by Dark Fermentation Microbial Basis of Methanogenesis Microbial Interactions Conclusions References Biochemistry of the Biohythane Production Process Introduction Biochemistry behind Dark-Fermentative Hydrogen Production Biochemistry behind Biomethane Production Challenges and Opportunities toward Commercialization of Biohythane Technology Conclusions References Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of Biohydrogen Production Processes Introduction Development of Mathematical Models to Correlate Substrate and Biomass Concentration with Time Substrate Inhibition Model Determination of Cell Growth Kinetic Parameters Cumulative Hydrogen Production by the Modified Gompertz Equation Development of Mathematical Models for Cell Growth Kinetics in a Packed-Bed Reactor Conclusion References Modeling and Simulation of the Biomethanation Process Using Organic Wastes Introduction Microbiology Biochemistry Thermodynamics and Kinetics

Dr. Debabrata Das is a senior professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. He has made significant contributions to bioenergy production processes by applying fermentation technology. He has published more than 132 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, written 1 textbook and 1 reference book, and contributed more than 22 chapters in books. Dr. Shantonu Roy is an assistant professor at the National Institute of Technology, Arunachal Pradesh, India. His PhD research work deals with biohydrogen production using extremophiles.