Description

The aim of this research project is to prove the suitability and scalability of membrane biofilm reactors (MBfR) as a future-oriented and competitive technology for gas fermentations for the sustainable production of high-value chemicals.
The catalytically active biomass growing as a biofilm on the liquid side of the membranes is directly is supplied directly with the often poorly water-soluble substrate gases, such as hydrogen, via the membrane surface. Dissolved nutrients and/or substrates are supplied in counter-diffusion via the liquid phase, which moves in and out of the film to improve mass transport.

At the Engler-Bunte Institute, we developed the prototype of an MBfR operated in dead-end mode for biological methanation. In funding phase I, the scalability of the reactor is to be tested with regard to the conversion rates achieved to date. An MBfR with a highly scaled-up specific membrane surface area is available for this purpose, which, in addition to the expected higher robustness of the hollow silicone fiber membranes, also offers flow-through operation.

Following an experimental phase for the pure hydrogenotrophic methanation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, operation in flow-through mode should lead to an additional increase in productivity during biogas purification.