Peningkatan produksi kelapa sawit dari tahun ke tahun, berbanding lurus dengan peningkatan volume limbah kelapa sawit. Limbah industri kelapa sawit mengandung bahan organik yang tinggi, penanganan yang tidak tepat dipastikan berakibat mencemari lingkungan sekitar. Limbah kelapa sawit adalah sisa hasil tanaman kelapa sawit yang tidak termasuk dalam produk utama proses pengolahan kelapa sawit, baik berupa limbah padat dan cair. Limbah padat kelapa sawit antara lain tandan kosong, cangkang dan sabut (fiber). Diketahui untuk 1 ton kelapa sawit menghasilkan limbah berupa tandan kosong kelapa sawit (TKKS) sebanyak 6,5%, limbah cangkang (shell) sebanyak 23%, wet decanter solid (lumpur sawit) 4%, serabut 13% serta limbah cair sebanyak 50%. Limbah cangkang merupakan limbah padat yang dihasilkan dalam cukup besar sekitar 126.317, 54 ton/tahun.
Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kadar air yang dibutuhkan untuk gasifikasi biomassa dikondisikan tidak lebih dari 10%. Kadar air dan AFR mempengaruhi durasi pembentukan syngas hasil gasifikasi biomassa, durasi pembentukan syngas pada AFR 0,3; 0,5; 0,8; 1,1 secara berurutan adalah 26 menit, 22 menit, 19 menit dan 14 menit. Kualitas syngas bisa dilihat secara visual melalui hasil pemabakaran syngas, pada AFR 0,3 didapatkan api biru, AFR 1,1 didapatkan nyala api jingga. Semakin kaya kandungan flammable gas dalam syngas, maka nyala api syngas berwarna biru dan semakin sedikit kandungan flammable gas dalam syngas, maka nyala api akan berwarna kuning kemerah-merahan/jingga. Terjadi kecenderungan penurunan presentase H2, CH4 dan CO pada syngas di AFR 0,3; 0,5; 0,8; dan 1,1 presentase H2 dan CH4 mengalami tren penurunan untuk senyawa CO sendiri pada syngas mengalami penurunan ke 4%. Penurunan CO pada masing-masing AFR terjadi karena terbentuknya CO2 sebagai dampak dari reaksi pembakaran yang tinggi dengan meningkatnya AFR.
Kata kunci : syngas, AFR, cangkang sawit, kadar air, gasifier.
The increase in palm oil production from year to year is directly proportional to the increase in the volume of oil palm waste. The oil palm industry waste contains high organic matter, improper handling is sure to result in polluting the surrounding environment. Oil palm waste is the residual yield of oil palm plants which are not included in the main products of palm oil processing, both liquid and liquid waste. Solid palm oil waste between empty bunches, shells and coir (fiber). It is known that 1 ton of oil palm produces waste consisting of 6.5% oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB), 23% shell waste, 4% solid sludge (oil sludge), 13% fiber and 50 wastewater %. The shell waste is a solid waste produced in a large enough amount of 126,317, 54 tons / year.
This study using qualitative and quantitative descriptive analysis methods, palm kernel shell biomass was used as fuel originating from Medan. If the area of the palm shell is too large, the palm shell will be difficult to burn. But if the area of the palm shell is too small, more ash will emerge. The author varied three AFRs namely 0.3; 0.5; 0.8; 1,1 and condition the water content of palm kernel shell biomass according to the water content in the field after going through the production process.
The results of this study indicate that the water content needed for biomass gasification is conditioned no more than 10%. Water content and AFR affect the duration of syngas formation of biomass gasification results, duration of syngas formation at AFR 0.3; 0.5; 0.8; 1,1 in a row are 26 minutes, 22 minutes, 19 minutes and 14 minutes. The quality of syngas can be seen visually through the combustion of syngas, in the AFR 0.3 a blue flame is obtained, the AFR 1.1 is found in an orange flame. The more rich the content of flammable gas in syngas, the syngas flame is blue and the less content of flammable gas is in syngas, then the flame will be reddish / orange. There is a tendency to decrease the percentage of H2, CH4 and CO in syngas at AFR 0.3; 0.5; 0.8; and 1.1 percent H2 and CH4 experienced a downward trend for the CO compound itself on syngas which decreased to 4%. The decrease in CO in each AFR occurs because of the formation of CO2 as a result of high combustion reactions with increasing the AFR.
Keywords: syngas, AFR, palm shell, moisture content, gasifier.