U.S.-India Planning Visit: Metagenomic Approach for Biomass Flexible Hydrogen Production Process with Simultaneous CO2 Utilization

Southern Illinois University At Carbondale, Carbondale IL

Investigators

Abstract

0730398 James Blackburn This award supports the U.S.-India Planning Visit: Metagenomic Approach for Biomass Flexible Hydrogen Production Process with Simultaneous CO2 Utilization. PIs James Blackburn and Kanchan Mondal of Southern Illinois University (SIU) at Carbondale will finalize a collaborative research project on sustainable energy with Debabrata Das, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur. The investigators seek to develop a sustainable and environmentally sound technology that will enable the utilization of biomass for the generation of hydrogen. While hydrogen is considered the fuel of choice for the future, there is the challenge of establishing it as a renewable source of energy that can be generated as hydrogen gas both economically and in large quantities. Biohydrogen production is attractive due to environmental considerations; however, the major disadvantage is its low yield compared to conventional processes. The current research focuses on modifications to the fermentation process for renewable biomass that employs a bioreactor prior to biohydrogen production in order to significantly reduce the cost of production. The collaborators bring unique and complimentary expertise to this research. They will exchange knowledge and technologies that were developed separately in order to create a new technology enabling the production of hydrogen from any source of biomass while simultaneously sequestering any CO2 by-products and developing a pollutant free hydrogen production technology. The benefits of this collaboration are mutual and, if successful, could have broad societal impact. U.S. students will be involved in the research.