A novel optimization approach for biohydrogen production using algal biomass

The objective of this research was to employ a low-cost device to produce biohydrogen with several potential applications for clean energy. A multi-input and single-output (MISO) framework was formed during the production process containing three control factors namely time duration, sulfur content, and biomass concentration. The biohydrogen yield during the process was considered the response variable. Furthermore, the response surface approach was used to optimize factors impacting hydrogen generation (RSM). The MISO problem thus was solved using a Taguchi L9 approach to design the experiments with minimum numbers of experimental runs. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to study the association among data groups. The desirability approach was employed to optimize the operating parameters for the maximum possible yield. Signal to noise ratio curve, ANOVA, and perturbation curve revealed the biomass content as the most important contributor to biohydrogen synthesis. The ideal conditions obtained with the desirability technique were 100 g/L biomass concentration, 95.28 h, and 0.9% sulfur content. The biohydrogen output was anticipated to be 77.84 mL/g VS (Volatile solids). A validation testing shows that the biohydrogen production was 74.32 mL/g VS, with a 4.52% error, which is fairly reasonable.