Optimizing reactor design for high-solids biohydrogen production

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and others utilized Simcenter M-Star alongside experimental studies to evaluate and optimize reactor design for high-solids lignocellulosic biomass fermentation with *Clostridium thermocellum*. CFD modeling guided the development of an improved anchor-type impeller that increased biohydrogen production by more than 50% while reducing the required agitation rate threefold. The optimized reactor and process ultimately produced 24.87 L H₂/L from pretreated corn stover while achieving more than 95% solubilization of cellulose and hemicellulose, demonstrating the use of Simcenter M-Star to guide reactor design and process intensification.