With the biotechnological system BionicHydrogenBattery, Festo is presenting a completely new, fully automated solution for the energy-efficient storage and low-risk transportation of one of the energy sources of the future: hydrogen. It is converted into formic acid with the help of bacteria - at mild temperatures and low pressure compared to previous processes.
The core of the biological process is the bacterium Thermoanaerobacter kivui (T. kivui). The bacterium lives in Central Africa, deep in the mud of Lake Kivu, far away from light and oxygen. It naturally has a special enzyme that enables it to produce hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in formic acid (CH2O2) and vice versa.
This property was extensively researched by a team led by Prof Dr Volker Müller, Head of the "Molecular Microbiology and Bioenergetics" department at Goethe University Frankfurt, with whom Festo is working closely on the project.
The storage and transportation of hydrogen remains a challenge to this day. Common methods either compress hydrogen under high pressure, liquefy it at extremely low temperatures, or convert it chemically. All of these processes are energy-intensive and complicated.
Using the bacteria T. kivui, it is possible to convert hydrogen into formic acid at temperatures of around 65°C and a low pressure of 1.5 bar, which can be stored and transported with relatively little effort.
Although it is a biological process, this reaction takes place quickly because it is not linked to cell growth. Instead, the bacteria are used like catalysts: they are not consumed and the process can be repeated as required with adequate regeneration phases - in the same manner as a cycle.
Dr. Adrian Eilingsfeld, Bionic Projects at Festo
What was previously only possible in the laboratory can now be achieved on an industrial scale with the BionicHydrogenBattery. A number of products from the Festo portfolio ensure the automation of the highly complex biotechnological processes.
A total of 117 different Festo product types (corresponding to 1,089 parts) are installed in the exhibit. For example, the new modular valve terminal VTUX in combination with the automation system CPX-E controls a large number of valves with a small footprint. Smooth transportation of the viscous biomass solution into and out of the bioreactors is ensured by VYKC media valves from our Lifetech portfolio. The flow rate through the filters is regulated with pinch valves VZQA. For precise dispensing of the smallest volumes of liquid into our reactors, EMMS-ST stepper motors work in combination with pump heads as peristaltic pumps. A color sensor SOEC detects even the smallest amounts of hydrogen in combination with super particles.
T. kivui bacteria are anaerobic, i.e. they thrive exclusively in the absence of oxygen. In the event of a leak in the system, the bacteria die immediately and therefore pose no risk to humans. At the same time, the absence of oxygen makes it impossible for the hydrogen to form an ignitable mixture. The system also only contains very small quantities of it at any given point in time.
Over millions of years of evolution, bacteria have optimized their metabolic processes. We can take advantage of their skills by combining them with technology. With the BionicHydrogenBattery, we are replicating the biological process on a small scale, which we could now scale up as required thanks to our automation technology.
Biologization means that we no longer just learn from nature, but work together with it. This enables us to find ecological innovations and climate-friendly solutions for the world of tomorrow while contributing toward an improvement in the quality of life of current and future generations.
The energy-efficient and low-risk storage of hydrogen using bacteria offers great potential here. It allows us to produce and store hydrogen when enough sustainably generated energy is available – for example in the summer or in windy and sunny countries – and to recover it when it is needed for power generation.
Sebastian Schrof, Bionic Projects at Festo