The development of alternate clean energy resources is among the most pressing issues in the energy sector in order to preserve the global natural environment. One of the ideal candidates is the utilization of hydrogen as a primary fuel in lieu of fossil fuels. It can be safely stored in liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) materials and recovered on demand. A uniform supply of hydrogen is essential for power production systems for their smooth operation. This study was conducted to determine the operating conditions of the dehydrogenation of perhydro-dibenzyltoluene (H18-DBT) to ensure that hydrogen supply in a continuous flow reactor remains stable over a wide range of temperatures. The hydrogen flow rate from the dehydrogenation reaction was measured and correlated with the degree of dehydrogenation (DoD) evaluated from the refractive index of reactant liquid samples at various temperatures, WHSV and the initial reactant concentrations. Moreover, a kinetic model is presented holding validity up to a WHSV of 67 h⁻¹. The results acquired present a range for an order of reaction from 2.3 to 2.4 with the required activation energy of 171 kJ/mol.

Biogas is a renewable energy resource that is not only economical but also fulfills the criteria of net-zero carbon emissions. This is highly favorable for agriculture-based developing countries with an abundance of animal and agricultural waste that can be effectively utilized for biogas production. A dual-stage reactor was designed and built to investigate the optimal conditions during the different seasons of winter and summer for mesophilic biogas production utilizing cow manure from local dairy farms. During the experiments, the pH was continuously monitored and automatically controlled between 6.8 and 7.2 over a period of fifteen days for each experiment using an Arduino Mega controller. The weight ratio (r_w) of cow manure slurry was varied from 50% to 80%, and the optimal condition was found to be 70%, irrespective of the seasonal variations. However, the statistical analysis suggests that the optimal weight ratio is 66% for both seasons. A maximum reaction yield of 87% was achieved at a r_w value of 60% during the summer, with an expected yield of over 95% at a r_w value of 70% if similar extreme environmental conditions occur. Employing this apparatus for biogas production requires significant electrical energy to drive the stirrer and pumps, suggesting the use of a conventional underground setup for biogas production, integrated with an automatic pH control module.