SIMULATION OF FAST PYROLYSIS TECHNOLOGY OF BIO-OIL PRODUCTION USING RAW MATERIALS OF PALM EMPTY FRUITS BUNCH

• Main Author: Rifki Fanany, Muhammad
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik kimia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/78730
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) are biomass waste originating from palm oil production. Utilization of EFB is still minimal when compared to the number of EFB produced each year. This can have a negative impact on the environment. EFB has the potential to be used as a raw material for bio-oil because of the hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin contained in EFB. These compounds will be decomposed at high temperatures so that they will decompose into simpler organic compounds. The process of decomposition of solids at high temperatures is called pyrolysis. The production of bio-oil using EFB as raw material consists of 3 stages of the process, pre-treatment, fast pyrolysis, vapor upgrading, and vapor quenching. The fast pyrolysis method requires a lot of energy because it involves a high operating temperature of 550oC. It is projected that in 2050 energy demand will increase by 80%, but the available energy sources are dwindling. One way to make energy savings is heat integration. By integrating heat, it can save energy consumption and can minimize process utility costs. This study used the Aspen Plus simulation software to evaluate the energy requirements of the process before and after heat integration and the feasibility of the process from an economic perspective. The simulation results show that heat integration can save as much as 3.38×106 energy, namely 4.71×106 MW to 1.34×106 MW. From an economic perspective, heat integration can reduce operational expenditure (OpEx) by 3.24% and capital expenditure (CapEx) by 4.09%. Economic sensitivity analysis shows that this process is feasible from an economic perspective with a payback period of 10-12 years and an internal rate of return of 8-10%.