Analisa Performansi Steam Methane Reformer untuk Produksi Hidrogen dari Syngas Hasil Pirolisis TKKS

Abstract

The economic growth that is aligned with the current increase in energy consumption is predominantly dominated by fossil fuel sources. This has led to an increase in CO2 emissions and environmental degradation. In the context of Indonesia, there is a need for an increase in the use of renewable energy and technological innovation to reduce CO2 emissions and achieve environmental sustainability. The empirical evidence suggests that the use of renewable energy can play a crucial role in reducing CO2 emissions in Indonesia. The expansion of renewable energy will not only support economic growth and reduce environmental degradation in Indonesia but also provide opportunities for the country to compete with developed nations worldwide. One promising renewable energy product is hydrogen derived from biomass. Hydrogen has significant potential for use in industries and long-distance transportation. Hydrogen production can be carried out through various energy sources, including biomass. Biomass conversion methods, such as pyrolysis, demonstrate good efficiency in producing various products such as biochar, liquid, and syngas. The syngas produced from the pyrolysis process can be converted into hydrogen through Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) technology, a commonly used and highly efficient hydrogen conversion method. This research focuses on the use of empty palm fruit bunches (TKKS) as raw material for pyrolysis to produce syngas. TKKS was chosen due to its abundant availability in North Sumatra. Despite its significant potential, only about 10% of TKKS is currently utilized, while the rest becomes waste. During this research, simulations and experiments were conducted on the pyrolysis and SMR systems. The results indicate that the optimal pyrolysis temperature is 500°C, yielding 16% biochar, 44% syngas, and 39% bio-oil. The hydrogen output in the SMR system at 500°C reached 43% based on simulation and 44% from experimental data. The efficiency of the pyrolysis system with TKKS as raw material is approximately 82%, while the SMR efficiency is 58.10%.