Study Homogeneity Ethanol Solution under High G-Force
Salafudin, Ronny Kurniawan and Yulianti Pratama
Chemical Engineering Department, Institut Teknologi Nasional Bandung, Indonesia.
Abstract
Distilation is still mayor unit operation used to produce bio-ethanol. Energy intensive used in distilation make high production cost of fuel grade bio-ethanol. In low concentration solution, they are much amount of free water which do not have interaction with ethanol. The condition make study homogeneity ethanol solution under high G-force is needed in order to know probability using centrifuge as pretreatment to increase concentration of ethanol solution. The study was done in laboratorium scale with batch centrifuge, and binary water-ethanol solution. The ethanol concentration was varied from 5% mol to 20% mol. The Centrifuge was run from 1918 to 2655 G-force with duration 3 to 30 minute. The result show that the homoginity of ethanol solution under high G-force could not be mantained. Along with increase radius the concentration of ethanol was decrease. Higher G-force, longer centrifugation time, lower concentration gave more effect of gradient concentration. Based on the result, centrifuge could be one of promising methode to increase ethanol concretration specially for low concentration ethanol. Background: Bioethanol is one of renewable energy with produced from fermentation process. Bioethanol concentration from fermentation process is around 5-10%, and Fuel grade bioethanol has concentration of at least 99,5 %. Distillation coulomb is still dominated unit operation used to increase bioethanol concentration from 5-10% until azeotrope point. Distillation coulomb is one of unit operation whose high operation cost. The Alternative unit operation which can replace of reduce the operation cost of distillation is very needed in order to make bioethanol has competitiveness compare with conventional gasoline. Aims: The aims of this study is to know the homogeneity of ethanol solution under high G-force and to know opportunity to used centrifugal force to separate ethanol from water. Materials and Methods: - Material used in this research is technical bioethanol solution and aquadest. - Batch laboratorial centrifuge was used. Bioethanol solution was put in centrifuge then turn on centrifuge at certain time and speed (rpm). Results and Discussion: Centrifuge was turn of and solution sample from bottom, middle and top of viral tube was taken and analysed the concentration. The homogeneity of low concentration of bioethanol solution under high G-force was study by comparation the concentration origin bioethanol solution and concentration bioethanol solution at bottom, middle and top viral tube witch has been under gone high G force from centrifuge. Conclusion: The result show that the homoginity of ethanol solution under high G-force could not be mantained. Along with increase radius the concentration of ethanol was decrease. Higher G-force, longer centrifugation time, lower concentration gave more effect of gradient concentration.
Keywords: low Concentration, Bio-ethanol Solution, homoginity, high G-force, Upgrading
Topic: Bioenergy