Papers by Keyword: Alternative Energy

Abstract: Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) is lignocellulosic biomass waste generated from palm oil processing industries. Due to its significant compositions of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, OPEFB can be further utilized and converted into value-added chemical products which can be used as alternative energy. Hence, the focus of this research is to analyze the effect of microwave pre-treatment (MP) and pressure cooker pre-treatment (PCP) parameters on OPEFB lignin reduction. The treated OPEFB was directly processed using two serial fungal treatment processes. The first fungal treatment process (FT-1) was to maximize the OPEFB lignin removal while the second fungal treatment process (FT-2) was to maximize the glucose production. Combination of microbes such as Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Trichoderma harzianum, Aspergillus niger, and Tricodherma viride was used for both fungal treatment processes. The OPEFB passing 25-mesh screening was used as raw materials. The raw materials mixed with 0.05 w/w NaOH pellets and water to achieve a concentration ratio of 3/50 (w/v) were pre-treated with either MP or PCP. Subsequently, the slurry produced from the pre-treatment process was introduced to FT-1 (P. chrysosporium for 5 days) and finally to FT-2 (T. harzianum, A. niger and T. viride for 4 days). The compositions of lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and glucose were analyzed at each process transition and the end of the whole process. It was observed that PCP (60 mins) was the best pre-treatment process with 39.23%-w of lignin removed. On the other hand, combination of MP (150 watts, 60 mins) was followed with FT-1 removed 66.67%-w of lignin. Only around 38.37%-w of lignin was removed when using the whole process, e.g., MP (150 watts, 60 mins), FT-1, and FT-2. The highest composition of glucose, ca. 131.02%-w, was obtained when 40-min PCP followed with FT-1 and FT-2 was applied. The obtained results exhibited that large lignin removal did not necessarily promote high glucose yield in the final product as observed in the 60-min PCP, e.g., P. chrysosporium consumed not only lignin but also presumably hemicellulose and cellulose.

Abstract: In this work, we investigated ethanol production from the common aquatic plant hydrilla by hydrolysis process. This was achieved using a fermentation medium mixed with aqueous solutions of H₂SO₄ (0.5%) and NaOH (1%). Firstly, fermentation medium was obtained from washing rice. Samples were left to ferment in the acidic and basic solutions for different time scales and tested for alcohol concentration. The resulting of producing ethyl alcohol were at 4.0% for H₂SO₄ cont. 0.5% , 3.5% for NaOH cont. 1% and 5.0% for H₂O solution at measuring of time ~6 hours.

Abstract: The combination of chemical reaction and distillation, which is analogous to inserting a chemical reactor into a distillation column, is a phenomenon that can be accomplished using a single piece of equipment known as a reactive distillation column, and the phenomenon is, thereby, referred to as reactive distillation process. Because of this combination, a lot of benefits such as improving reaction conversion, suppressing side reactions and utilizing heat of reaction for mass transfer operation can be achieved. However, this combination has made the control of this process a little bit challenging because of some disturbances that normally affect its smooth running. Therefore, cascade control method, being a type that can be used to handle any disturbance before it affects the main process, is applied in this work to carry out the control of a biodiesel reactive distillation process using proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control algorithm. The responses of the process towards the applications of step changes to the input variable (reboiler duty) of the process revealed that it was stable because it could attain steady states. Also, the closed-loop simulations showed that cascade PID controller was better for the control of the process than the conventional PID controller owing to the fact that the responses of the cascade PID control system, upon the application of step changes to the set-point value of the controlled variable, were found to get to the desired setpoint faster and in a better way than those of the conventional PID control system. Moreover, the superiority of the cascade PID controller over the conventional one was demonstrated by the estimation of the integral absolute error (IAE) and integral squared error (ISE) of the cascade control system, which were obtained to be less than those of the conventional PID control system.

Abstract: In connection with the consumptive depletion of the earth and the destructive effect of emissions of combustion products on the environment, now all of humanity is in search for alternative energy sources. The proposed technology intends to produce electricity directly at the consumer location or in close vicinity to it by utilizing the concept of vertical buoyancy power generation in a still water reservoir and thus able to lower the cost of electricity and save the fossil fuels. The newly invented machine is able to converts the buoyance force energy into mechanical energy of shaft rotation, and thus into the electricity via rotary generator. The hydraulic buoyant force engine system includes two cylindrical pulleys with belt transmission mounted on the stationary frame that is submerged into the water. The belt carries the chain of elastic plastic airbags to generate the buoyance force. The empty and weightless airbags are driven first by the belt and pulleys system to the bottom of a water reservoir where they are filled with the air delivered by the compressor and then the bulged bags and thus connected belt are driven up by the buoyant force. As a result the belt and shaft of the connected to the upper pulley generator will be constantly driven by the buoyant force. The paper describes the details of the engine construction, the amount of power generated by the engine as a function of the reservoir depth and the power of an air compressor as well as advantages of such engine installations and their impact on the society.

Abstract: As many research and study were conducted worldwide in order to explore the different alternatives and renewable energy resources, this work come out with the descriptions of the initial testing conducted on the prototype of pico-hydro generation system for the purpose of investigating its performance. The kinetic energy hold by water flow in the domestic pipes was obtained to have potential in generating electricity power for energy storage purposes while conducting routine activities such as laundry, cook and bathe. The water pressure and water flow inside the pipe from utility’s main tank that used for those usual activities are used to rotate small scale hydro turbine to drive a generator for electrical power generation. Results from the test significantly show the convinced reading in recorded voltage as it is a count to propose the system is feasible for electrification of energy storage purpose and indicate the prospect for further improvement and future research.

Abstract: Waste cooking oil has always been an environment problem in food factories and one method of effect disposing this oil without effecting the environment is to convert it to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) using small scale pilot plant. The conversion of waste cooking oil with sodium hydroxide as a catalyst in conversional process at 22kHz speed. The reaction of time, molar ratio, speed, catalyst and amount of catalyst will be effect in FAME quality. The quality of biodiesel define is total ester content using gas chromatography. Gas chromatography analysis is a one of technique for identification and quantitation of compounds in a biodiesel sample. From biodiesel sample can identification of contaminants and fatty acid methyl ester. In this research biodiesel sample were analyses using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector ( Perkin Elmer GC Model Clarus 500) equipped with a DB-5 HT capillary column ( 0.53mm x 5 m) J&W Scientific. The analytic conditions for ester content were as follow by: column temperature used 2100C, temperature flame ionization detector (FID) of 2500C, pressure of 80kPa, flow carrier gas of 1ml/min, temperature injector of 2500C, split flow rate of 50ml/min, time for analysis 20 minute and volume injected of 1 μl. The ester content (C), expresses as a mass fraction in present using formula (EN 14103, 2003a) calculation. Conversion of triglyceride (TG) to FAME using conversional process obtained 96.54 % w.t with methanol to oil molar ratio 6:1, 1%w.t acid sulphuric and 1% w.t sodium hydroxide catalyst.

Abstract: As the world's biggest energy consumer and the world's first car production and marketing country, car exhaust emissions have become an important cause of serious environmental pollution. The paper calculates the life cycle costs of HEB, BEB, and CDB by the life cycle cost model considering the environmental benefits in the case of small public transportation system being the big scenarios. The paper takes the capital airport shuttle bus system as an example, analyzing applications of alternative energy in the system, thus providing evidence for applications of alternative energy in a small public transportation system, improving continuously the proportion of electric energy in the consumption of end-use energy, promoting social energy conservation and mitigating environmental pollution problems.

Abstract: The objective of this research was to study on charcoal block production from eucalyptus bark using screw press unit. The physical and thermal properties of charcoal and factors affecting the testing units performance, which were mixing ratios by weight of eucalyptus bark charcoal: cassava starch: water content (1: 0.10: 0.75, 1: 0.15: 0.75 and 1: 0.20: 0.75) and screw pressing speeds (90, 105, 120 and 135 rpm) were studied. The optimum of screw press unit was screw pressing speed of 120-135 rpm and a mixing ratio by weight of eucalyptus bark charcoal: cassava starch: water content of 1: 0.15: 0.75. The test result at the feed rate of 140 kg/hr indicated that the machine had a capacity of 119.71-121.95 kg/hr, specific energy consumption of 12.33-12.73 W-hr/kg, charcoal block bulk density of 467.55 to 468.88 kg/m³, charcoal strength of 152.58 to 153.60 kPa and heating value of 21.95 MJ/kg for charcoal block moisture content of 7.46 % (w.b.)

Abstract: The aim of this project is to transfer knowledge on production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil then the biodiesel is used as a fuel to fire the burner of frying pan for crackers. The project was initially an experimental work of processing the waste cooking oil into biodiesel in the laboratory. The pilot project was built through this knowledge transfer program with the participation of a small local fabricator in Batu Pahat. This continuous biodiesel plant produces a biodiesel for the chip cracker factory. The biodiesel was blended with diesel oil to get B5 and B10 grade biodiesel. The application of this biodiesel has enabled the company to use its waste cooking oil without having to dispose it and this has save cost to the company. The other advantage is that it has significantly help to preserve environment and encourage green practice. The biodiesel plant has also motivated the company towards thinking about environment and also alternative energy thus sustaining its operation. The project benefits both the university and the industry

Abstract: This research used 20 kilograms crucible furnace to be experiment furnace. The furnace used NGV. to be fuel for aluminum melting while melting process melting time, melting temperature, pouring time and fuel consumption were recorded. The fuel consumption comparison between NGV. With LPG are one kilogram of aluminum used 0.35 kilogram of NGV or 3.92 Thai bath/kilogram (NGV .price 11 bath/kilogram) and one kilogram of aluminum used 0.25 kilogram of LPG or 4.53 Thai bath/kilograms (LPG.price 17.93Thai baht/kilogram)