Energy needs in Indonesia are still very dependent on limited fossil fuels, so they are starting to turn to renewable energy. In Indonesia, the massive application of renewable energy is still dominated by Solar Photovoltaic (PV), while other renewable energies such as wind energy and biomass are still very minimal.
Under these conditions, biomass can be one of the prima donna substitutes for fossil energy such as coal and gas. One of the Professors of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Indonesia (FTUI), Prof. Dr. Ir. Adi Surjosatyo, M.Eng., researched the potential of Indonesia’s biomass as an alternative to renewable energy. “Biomass is a term used to refer to all organic compounds derived from cultivated plants, algae, and organic waste that can be used as an alternative energy source with renewable raw materials. Indonesia has fertile soil and a tropical climate, enabling biomass to be produced all year round. Biomass energy can be a fuel solution that cannot be renewed and pollutes the environment,” said Prof. Adi who is also a researcher at the Tropical Renewable Energy Center (TREC) FTUI.
FTUI is also developing biomass gasification connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) in commercial development. Biomass gasification is an endothermic reaction process to convert biomass into combustible gas, occurring at high temperatures with limited oxygen.
“We designed the Mobile Biomass Gasifier Prototype 3 as an advanced stage from the previous generation which aims to utilize biomass from rice into a flammable gas that can be used as electricity through an engine. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the producer gas from Mobile Gasifier Prototype 3 (P3) ) in the continuous gasification process with a fixed bed downdraft type reactor,” said Prof. Adi.
Since 2019, the Biomass Gasification Research Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, FTUI, in collaboration with Development Partner PT Melu Bangun Wiweka, has developed the Mobile Biomass Gasifier. The Mobile Biomass Gasifier is a tool for converting biomass (rice husks, wood, leaves, corncobs, etc.) into gasification gas (producer gas).
This gasification gas can be used as fuel gas for gas engines or industrial-scale heat sources. This tool has a thermal capacity of 35 kW for gas products and 20 kW electric for electricity products.
“The Mobile Biomass Gasifier has the advantage of being a renewable energy source that can support the renewable energy transition because it fulfills the carbon neutral concept, plants that produce biomass can capture the CO2 produced in the gasification process. In addition, this technology is also environmentally friendly because it does not cause environmental pollution. In its development, this tool was examined in three prototype stages, namely Prototype 1 (P1), Prototype 2 (P2), and Prototype 3 (P3),” said Prof. Adi.
The initial stage of developing a mobile gasifier with a capacity of 10 kW thermal and using a 10 kW single cylinder (P1) engine. P1 has been equipped with a semi-controllable system and gas cleaning using an indirect condenser and a biomass filter. P2 is an industry-standard prototype with partner PT Melu Bangun Wiweka with a capacity of 25 kW thermal or 10 kW electric. P2 is equipped with a 4-inline cylinder otto engine with 1:12 compression, a PLC system, and gas cleaning using an indirect condenser and double biomass-paper filters.
P3 is the latest prototype with partner PT Melu Bangun Wiweka with a capacity of 35 kW thermal or 20 kW electric. P3 is equipped with PLC and IoT so that it can be controlled remotely and provide real-time data. The engine also uses a 4-inline cylinder modified diesel engine with a 1:14 compression and is equipped with an AFR control system so that it can produce optimally.
Together with Prof. Adi as the main researcher, Biomass Gasification Research Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, FTUI, consisting of Dr. Eng. Radon Dhelika (Research Member), Ardiyansyah, Ph.D. (Research Member)., Hafif Dafiqurrohman, M.T. (Project Manager-Research), Sarah Islamiati Pertiwi, M.T. (Research Assistant), Marcellino Lorenzo, S.T. (Research Assistant), Surya Kelana, A.Md. (Technician), Rohmat Mubarok (Technician), Ajeng Prabowo, A.Md. B.A. (Administrator), Ir. Teguh Nugraha Kusnan, M.Sc. (Partner Coordinator), and Angga Purnama Putra, S.T. (Project Manager-Fabrication).
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Faculty of Engineering, University of Indonesia