Enrichment of Chlorophyta Growth Via Cerium Oxide and Utilized for Hydrogen Production Via a Hydrothermal Gasification Process

Abstract

The growing interest in alternative fuels stems from the need to address energy security and economic challenges. Hydrogen fuel is considered a promising solution due to its versatility, efficiency, and potential for zero emissions, as well as continuous technological advancements and increasing policy support. This study intends to enhance Chlorophyta growth by incorporating different volume percentages of cerium oxide (CeO2) as feedstock for hydrogen production through hydrothermal gasification. The research findings indicate that the highest concentration (0.2 vol%) of CeO2 resulted in the maximum growth of 0.63 µ/day, which was utilized for hydrogen extraction. Additionally, the investigation explored the impact of Chlorophyta algae loading (0.05–0.15 g/mL) and processing temperature (500–650 °C) on molar fraction, hydrogen yield, gasification efficiency, carbon efficiency, and total hydrogen production. Higher feedstock (0.15 g/mL) and gasification temperature (650 °C) were found to improve hydrogen fraction (61.8%), yield (10.2 mol/kg), gasification efficiency (43.8%), and total hydrogen production (62.5%).