Computer-Aided Exergy Evaluation of Direct Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) Gasification and PSA Technology for Hydrogen Production

Background: The high world production of African palm oil has received major concern because of the amount of residual biomass generated during this process, which can be used to obtain high value products. Objectives: This work is focused on exergy analysis of production process of hydrogen from Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) using direct gasification and PSA purification technology. Methods/Analysis: Physical energy was calculated using thermodynamic properties of the mixture and chemical energy was determined according to exergy of individual components reported in literature. Irreversibility’s were calculated for each process stage providing information about focus of improvement. In addition, sensibility analysis was carried out to identify the effect of heat in gas-solid separation stage on total efficiency of this system. Findings: It was found that 24.66 t/h of EFB can produce 1.138 t/h of hydrogen with a global exergy efficiency of 32.53%. The stages that exhibited highest irreversibility’s were liquid separation and gassolid separation with 54% and 40% of contribution to total destroyed exergy, respectively. Novelty/Improvement: This research offered an improved alternative to produce hydrogen from wastes of African palm oil industry by reducing exergy of waste when PSA technology is implemented instead of conventional purification with selexol.