SRNL Researchers Find Carbon Boost Boosts Blue-Green Algae Hydrogen Production for Energy Use

Hydrogen-Producing Cyanobacteria

                Image Credit: Savannah River National Laboratory

A team of Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) researchers is studying how the relationships between blue-green algae and its environment, particularly nutrients and other bacteria, affect its ability to produce hydrogen that could be collected and used for the nation’s energy needs.  Results indicate that a carbon “boost” may increase the hydrogen production capacity of many strains. 

One of the keys to making a hydrogen-powered future feasible is developing environmentally and economically sound methods of producing large quantities of hydrogen.  Biological hydrogen production by cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, is a highly attractive option because:

• It uses a renewable resource requiring only water, sunlight, air, and trace mineral salts.


• It does not use or produce hazardous materials.


• It is carbon-neutral or even carbon–negative process (absorbing carbon, rather than producing it).

“It is known that many thousands, or even millions, of naturally occurring bacteria species have the ability to use sunlight to produce hydrogen,” says Chris Yeager, one of the researchers on the project, “but only a handful of strains have been studied.”  From a biotechnological perspective, he says it makes sense to explore (and potentially harness) the untapped diversity of H2-producing capabilities that have been naturally evolving for billions of years.

To advance the utility of these microorganisms for energy production, SRNL is conducting studies to 1) assess the overall physiological effects that bacterial associates and environmental factors have on cultures of hydrogen-producing cyanobacteria, and 2) characterize the combined effect of glucose and light on hydrogen-producing cyanobacteria.

Cyanobacteria are almost always closely associated with other bacteria. Indeed, many strains of cyanobacteria cannot be isolated and grown without their bacterial associates.  Still, very little detail is known about the interactions between the cyanobacteria and their commonly associated bacteria, especially how those interactions could affect the ability to produce hydrogen.  SRNL screened ~75 bacteria for their ability to enhance or inhibit cyanobacteial growth, and found that several impart a slight growth advantage. 

To learn more about the effect of light and carbon source on hydrogen production, SRNL examined 10-12 diverse cyanobacterial strains and found that glucose stimulated hydrogen production rates and yield in the majority of strains – as much as a 40-fold increase in yields in some strains. Other carbon sources (or “carbon boosts”) were also found to increase cyanobacterial hydrogen production. These results support the idea that organic rich waste streams from certain industrial processes could be used to stimulate photobiological hydrogen production.

In many strains, glucose-dependent hydrogen production rates and yield were not greatly stimulated by increases in light intensity. This research counters the commonly held belief that the techno-economic feasibility of cyanobacterial hydrogen production depends solely on light conversion efficiency, and points toward the utilization of “carbon boosts” to increase production.

Global Fuel Cell Market to Reach $14 Billion in 2014, Nanotechnology Key to Future Success According to iRAP Report

Source: Innovative Research and Products, Inc (iRAP)

The lure of fuel cells is the promise to be one of the most ubiquitous products of the 21st century. Fuel cells can compete with batteries, the internal combustion engine and the power grid. Hydrogen can compete with any fuel now produced and cause no pollution but its price is higher than gasoline or natural gas because it is difficult to transport and store. Nanotechnologies will provide the technological keys that enable fuel cells and hydrogen as a fuel to become competitive and commonplace.

According to a report from iRAP, Fuel Cells, Hydrogen Energy and Related Nanotechnology—A Global Industry and Market Analysis, the fuel cell and hydrogen energy industry is highly fragmented. Worldwide about 3870 organizations are involved in fuel cells, hydrogen energy and related nanotechnology and spent an estimated $8.4 billion in 2008. This market is estimated at $8.8 billion in 2009 and expected to increase to $14 billion by 2014, with a compound average growth rate of 9.6%. More than 2180 organizations are involved in nanotechnology related to fuel cells and hydrogen energy and will spend a total of $4.7 billion for fuel cells and hydrogen energy incorporating nanotechnology. Of that $4.7 billion, about $2 billion in 2008 represents the value of nanotechnology for fuel cells and hydrogen energy separate from all other expenditures.

The organizations are made up of well established corporations, start-up companies, universities, governments at the federal, state and municipal level, cooperative public/private demonstrations, as well as non-profit organizations and laboratories. Those organizations involved in nanotechnology are developing electrodes, catalysts, membranes as well as nano coating, thermal and filtration products for fuel cells as well as materials for hydrogen production, purification and storage.

More than half the organizations involved in fuel cells, hydrogen energy and related nanotechnology have overlapping interests and are developing more than one kind of fuel cell or technology for more than one type of fuel cell. They may also offer balance of plant products that can be applied to more than one type of fuel cell such as fuel reformers, pumps and compressors and power electronics. Manufacturing equipment is also similar for some fuel cell types such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) even though their chemistry is very different. Nanotechnology manufacturing methods that can be applied to PEMFCs is often applicable to DMFCs as both use proton exchange membranes but different types of fuel.

Nanotechnologies offer a potential avenue for safe, solid storage of hydrogen for vehicles as well as methods of producing and purifying hydrogen from hydrocarbon fuels for use in fuel cells or via electrolysis of water or ammonia. Fuel cells require very pure hydrogen (99.95% or better) with many manufacturers striving to achieve 99.9999% pure or “six nines” for PEMFC which are very susceptible to poisoning by impurities which can lead to cell failure.

Although fuel cells represent less than ½ of one percent of the applications markets for power of any type, including portable power (where they compete against batteries and portable generators), stationary power (where they compete against the electric power grid), or vehicle power (where they compete against the internal combustion engine), it is growing at a faster speed. True mass manufacturing of stationary fuel cells will see its beginning in 2009 as manufacturers of a variety of fuel cells increase manufacturing capacity to 10,000s of units as their fuel cell products have proven to have the durability to compete against other sources of power. Prices have yet to significantly decrease but are expected to fall as mass production ramps up. Fuel cell manufacturers receive government support through subsidies as well as coordinated research and development. Limited mass production of fuel cell vehicles is not expected to begin before 2015, although many manufacturers will produce about 100 fuel cell vehicles a year for fleet demonstrations. Hydrogen fueling stations for these vehicles continues at a rate of about two to four a month worldwide. More than $500 billion worth of hydrogen fueling stations will eventually be needed to compete with the world-wide gasoline infrastructure.

The Carbon Trust recently launched a $12.6 million UK contest for a breakthrough in fuel cell technology. The initiative aims to deliver the critical reduction in fuel cell system costs that must be achieved to make mass market deployment a reality. New Carbon Trust analysis shows that if substantial cuts can be achieved, the global market could be worth over $26bn in 2020 and over $180bn in 2050. The UK share of this market could be $1bn in 2020 rising to $19bn in 2050. By 2030, polymer fuel cells worldwide could be saving every year more CO2 than the UK will emit.