Korean Chemical Engineering Research

The Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers (한국화학공학회)
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Purification of Biohydrogen Produced From Palm Oil Mill Effluent Fermentation for Fuel Cell Application

  • Rohani, Rosiah (Research Center for Sustainable Process Technology, Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia) ;
  • Chung, Ying Tao (Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment, UCSI University (Block E) Kuala Lumpur Campus Jalan Mandarina Damai) ;
  • Mohamad, Izzati Nadia (Research Center for Sustainable Process Technology, Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia)
  • Received : 2018.12.05
  • Accepted : 2019.05.17
  • Published : 2019.08.01
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Abstract

Fermentation of palm oil mill effluent (POME) produces biohydrogen in a mixture at a specific set condition. This research was conducted to purify the produced mixed biohydrogen via absorption and membrane techniques. Three different solvents, methyl ethanolamine (MEA), ammonia ($NH_3$) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) solutions, were used in absorption technique. The highest $H_2$ purity was found using 1M MEA solution with 5.0 ml/s feed mixed gas flow rate at 60 minutes absorption time. Meanwhile, the purified biohydrogen using a polysulfone membrane had the highest $H_2$ purity at 2~3 bar operating pressure. Upon testing with proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), the highest current and power produced at 100% $H_2$ were 1.66 A and 8.1 W, while the lowest were produced at 50/50 vol% $H_2/CO_2$ (0.32 A and 0.49 W). These results proved that both purification techniques have significant potential for $H_2$ purification efficiency.

Keywords

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Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of CO2 absorption technique.

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Fig. 2. Schematic diagram of Membrane Permeation Unit.

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Fig. 3. Composition of purified H2 obtained via absorption technique with different alkaline solutions (KOH, NH3, MEA) at 1 M concentration.

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Fig. 4. Gas permeation and selectivity for PSF Membrane.

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Fig. 5. Gas composition in permeate stream after gas permeation test for PSF membrane.

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Fig. 6. Power profile with current at different H2 concentration.

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Fig. 7. Average maximum power of PEMFC with different CO2 concentration.

Table 1. Summary of gas upgrading by absorption and membrane techniques

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Table 2. List of parameters for absorption technique

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Table 3. List of parameter for PEMFC application

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