Tim Biofuelab ITB Selenggarakan Uji Coba Penerapan Bahan Bakar Nabati Drop-In di Lingkungan Masyarakat Tani

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Lembang, November 1 2023

Tim Biofuelab dari KK Teknologi Pengolahan Biomassa dan Pangan, Fakultas Teknologi Industri, Institut Teknologi Bandung, menyelenggarakan kegiatan uji coba penerapan bahan bakar nabati di lingkungan masyarakat tani. Tim yang beranggotakan Prof. Dr. Ronny Purwadi, Dr. Meiti Pratiwi, dan Dr. Astri Nur Istyami ini bekerja sama dengan Gabungan Kelompok Tani (Gapoktan) Desa Pagerwangi, Kecamatan Lembang, Kabupaten Bandung Barat.

Dalam uji coba yang diselenggarakan pada hari Rabu, 1 November 2023 ini, bahan bakar nabati berupa bensin dari turunan minyak sawit dicampurkan sebanyak 10% dengan bensin konvensional. Bahan bakar campuran ini diujicobakan pada traktor di lingkungan masyarakat tani Desa Pagerwangi, Kecamatan Lembang, Kabupaten Bandung Barat.

“Traktor yang telah dikosongkan dari bahan bakarnya, diisi dengan bahan bakar dengan campuran 10% bensin nabati. Dalam uji coba ini, traktor berhasil dinyalakan dan dijalankan dengan baik,” ujar Dr. Meiti Pratiwi, selaku ketua tim kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat Penerapan Bahan Bakar Nabati Drop-In di Lingkungan Masyarakat Tani.

Bahan bakar nabati drop-in merupakan bahan bakar nabati yang memiliki karakter serupa dengan bahan bakar fosil. Dengan demikian, bahan bakar tipe ini dapat langsung digunakan dalam mesin kendaraan konvensional tanpa memerlukan pencampuran dengan BBM maupun modifikasi mesin.

“Sejak tahun 2016, Tim Biofuelab ITB telah memulai riset dan pengembangan teknologi produksi bahan bakar nabati tipe drop-in berbasis minyak sawit melalui dekarboksilasi sabun logam. Teknologi ini cukup praktis untuk diaplikasikan di wilayah pelosok karena tidak memerlukan tekanan operasi yang tinggi,” ujar Prof. Dr. Ronny Purwadi.

Di bawah arahan Prof. Dr. Ronny Purwadi, Tim Biofuelab ITB sebelumnya telah melakukan produksi bahan bakar nabati melalui rute dekarboksilasi sabun logam pada skala laboratorium dan skala mini-pilot (20 kg bahan baku/hari). Prototipe bahan bakar nabati telah dihasilkan untuk bahan bakar mesin diesel (angka setana 60) dan bahan bakar mesin bensin (angka oktana 85).

Prototipe bensin dengan campuran 10% bensin nabati sebanyak 10 liter diserahkan oleh Dr. Meiti Pratiwi kepada Tatang Hermawan selaku Ketua Gabungan Kelompok Tani (Gapoktan) Desa Pagerwangi, Kec. Lembang, Kab. Bandung Barat. Kegiatan ini sekaligus menjadi ajang sosialisasi dan edukasi potensi penggunaan bahan bakar nabati di lingkungan masyarakat tani.

“Pihak Gapoktan akan menggunakan serta mengevaluasi prototipe bahan bakar campuran ini, untuk menjadi masukan terkait kualitas produk. Dengan demikian, kami dapat melanjutkan pengembangan teknologi produksi bahan bakar nabati bertekanan rendah, yang feasible untuk diaplikasikan di daerah pelosok,” ujar Dr. Astri Nur Istyami selaku salah satu anggota Tim Biofuelab ITB.

Dokumentasi kegiatan Uji Coba Penerapan Bahan Bakar Nabati Drop-In yang diselenggarakan Tim Biofuelab FTI ITB beserta Gapoktan Desa Pagerwangi, Kec. Lembang, Kab. Bandung Barat (1/11/23)

sumber & copyright: fti.itb.ac.id[:en]

Lembang, November 1 2023

The Biofuelab Team from the Biomass and Food Processing Technology Group, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, held trial activities for the application of biofuels in farming communities. The team consisting of Prof. Dr. Ronny Purwadi, Dr. Meiti Pratiwi, and Dr. Astri Nur Istyami is collaborating with the Association of Farmer Groups (Gapoktan) in Pagerwangi Village, Lembang District, West Bandung Regency.

In the trial which was held on Wednesday, November 1 2023, biofuel in the form of gasoline derived from palm oil was mixed 10% with conventional gasoline. This mixed fuel was tested on a tractor in the farming community of Pagerwangi Village, Lembang District, West Bandung Regency.

“The tractor, which has been emptied of fuel, is filled with fuel mixed with 10% vegetable gasoline. “In this trial, the tractor was successfully started and ran well,” said Dr. Meiti Pratiwi, as team leader for community service activities, Implementation of Drop-In Vegetable Fuel in Farming Communities.

Drop-in biofuel is a biofuel that has similar characteristics to fossil fuels. Thus, this type of fuel can be used directly in conventional vehicle engines without requiring mixing with fuel or engine modifications.

“Since 2016, the ITB Biofuelab Team has started research and development of palm oil-based drop-in biofuel production technology through decarboxylation of metal soap. “This technology is quite practical to be applied in remote areas because it does not require high operating pressure,” said Prof. Dr. Ronny Purwadi.

Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Ronny Purwadi, ITB Biofuelab Team has previously produced biofuels via the metal soap decarboxylation route on a laboratory scale and mini-pilot scale (20 kg of raw material/day). Biofuel prototypes have been produced for diesel engine fuel (cetane number 60) and gasoline engine fuel (octane number 85).

The gasoline prototype with a mixture of 10% vegetable gasoline, 10 liters, was submitted by Dr. Meiti Pratiwi to Tatang Hermawan as Chair of the Association of Farmer Groups (Gapoktan) in Pagerwangi Village, District. Lembang, Kab. West Bandung. This activity also serves as a means of socialization and education on the potential use of biofuels in farming communities.

“Gapoktan will use and evaluate this mixed fuel prototype, to provide input regarding product quality. “In this way, we can continue developing low-pressure biofuel production technology, which is feasible for application in remote areas,” said Dr. Astri Nur Istyami as a member of the ITB Biofuelab Team.

Documentation of the Trial activities for the Application of Drop-In Vegetable Fuels organized by the FTI ITB Biofuelab Team together with the Gapoktan of Pagerwangi Village, Kec. Lembang, Kab. West Bandung (1/11/23)

source & copyright: fti.itb.ac.id[:]