PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN BY UTILIZING BRIGHT AND DARK CYCLE BY BLUE-GREEN ALGAE

摘要

PURPOSE:To suppress the hydrogen intake acitivity of blue-green algae having generating power and to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production in the stage of culturing the blue-green algae in water and producing hydrogen by utilizing bright and dark cycles by subjecting the blue-green algae to an oxygen treatment in the dark period. CONSTITUTION:Preferably thermophilic blue-green algae (e.g.; mastigocladous laminosus) having hydrogen generating power are cultured usually at about 25- 55 deg.C in water contg. a suitable inorg. component (e.g.; in FitzGerald modified medium) in an inert gaseous atmosphere contg. about 0.5-5vol% carbon dioxide under irradiation of light to effect photosynthesis and hydrogen generation. The blue-green algae are then cultured in the water under the dark aerobic condition and are subjected to an oxygen treatment for about several minutes - some ten minutes in the dark period. Hydrogen is produced by repeating alternately the cycle of culturing the algae in the water under the above-mentioned bright anaerobic condition and the cycle of culturing the same in the water under the dark aerobic condition.