Jakarta, Sawit Indonesia – “Palm shells in solar distillation have been proven to increase overall energy efficiency. Palm oil shells help maintain a high temperature in the distiller, speeding up the fermentation and concentration process. As a result, more pure water is produced in a shorter time. With increasing energy efficiency, solar distillers using palm kernel shells are becoming more productive and useful, especially in areas with limited access to clean water.”
Water is the most important source of life for all living things. However, along with human population growth, industrial development, and environmental degradation, the world’s fresh water supply is running low. According to research data presented by Ho, Bahar, and Koo, only about 3% of the world’s total water is fresh water, and the remaining 97% is salty seawater and cannot be consumed directly. As a result, many people suffer from poor health and even die due to the consumption of polluted water.
One solution that is being developed to overcome this problem is seawater purification technology using the still solar desalination method. This method offers a way to turn seawater into fresh water using solar power, a renewable energy source. A solar still is a device that uses the sun’s energy to heat seawater in a container (pond). The sea water then evaporates and rises to the top of the glass surface (condenser) of the sun still. This is where condensation occurs, and fresh water flows into the holding tank.
Solar stills have a simple design and can be built easily, making them an attractive option for dealing with the fresh water crisis. Despite great potential, solar stills face productivity challenges. The processes of evaporation and condensation that occur in solar stills tend to be slow, so the production of fresh water is relatively low. Various researches have been conducted to increase the efficiency and productivity of solar stills. This research involves using different technologies and designs to increase the heat entering the sun still and speed up the processes of evaporation and condensation.
A research group from the University of North Sumatra and the Muroran Institute of Technology in Japan has found a material suitable for the Indonesian region. Sibagaring, Napitupulu, Kawai, and Prof. Himsar Ambarita revealed that palm oil shells, which were previously considered as industrial waste, show great potential in several applications due to their unique properties. This material not only helps to reduce waste, but also increases energy productivity, especially in the field of solar distillation.
“One of the main advantages of palm kernel shells is their high thermal properties. Palm oil shells can effectively absorb and store heat energy. “In the context of solar distillation, palm oil shells can increase the temperature in the distillation apparatus, speed up the water evaporation process, and produce more fresh water,” said Prof. Himsar.
In the solar distillation process, water is heated until it evaporates, and then the steam is converted to fresh water through condensation. The thermal properties of palm oil shells increase the efficiency of this process, making it more efficient in producing fresh water, continued Prof. Himsar.
As a waste from the palm oil industry, palm kernel shells are available in large quantities and can be obtained for free or at very low cost. This leaves palm oil shells as an alternative cost effective compared to other products that may be more expensive. Palm oil shells can be used as fuel or heat storage, helping to reduce production costs in solar distillation applications. This brings important economic benefits, especially to areas that have a palm oil industry.
In addition, Prof. Himsar explained that using palm oil shells as a resource also contributes to environmental sustainability. By using palm oil industry waste, we can reduce the amount of waste that needs to be disposed of or processed. In addition, the use of palm kernel shells in renewable energy applications helps to reduce the use of fossil fuels, which can reduce carbon emissions and negative impacts on the environment.
“Palm shells in solar distillation have been proven to increase overall energy efficiency. Palm oil shells help maintain a high temperature in the distiller, speeding up the fermentation and concentration process. As a result, more pure water is produced in a shorter time. “With an increase in energy efficiency, solar distillers using palm oil shells will become more productive and useful, especially in areas with limited access to clean water,” said Prof. Himsar.
Their research showed that the use of palm kernel shells in solar distillation increased the efficiency of the operation, which is a measure of how well the machine converts the available energy into useful energy. In this study, solar distillation with 5 kg of palm kernel shells achieved a functional efficiency of 2.879%, while conventional solar distillation achieved only 2.255%. These results show that palm kernel shells can provide significant improvements in exercise efficiency, making solar distillation more efficient and beneficial.
Accordingly, choosing palm oil shells allows the industry to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly in managing palm oil industrial waste. The use of palm kernel shells in solar distillation can also help areas with limited access to clean water to make fresh water more efficiently. In addition, there are at least 17,000 islands in the geographical area of Indonesia. Many of them do not have enough access to clean water.
“Overall, palm kernel shells provide an innovative and sustainable solution to future energy and environmental challenges. “By using palm oil shells, we can turn waste into valuable resources and contribute well to the sustainability of our planet,” concluded Prof. Himsar.
Source: usu.ac.id
2024-05-03 04:09:49
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