Viknesh Andiappan

Flowsheet Synthesis and Optimisation of Palm Oil Milling Processes with Maximum Oil Recovery

Crude palm oil (CPO) is produced in palm oil mills (POMs) using fresh fruit bunches (FFBs), harvested from oil palm plantations. FFB passes through multiple unit operations in the milling process, each consists of different technologies. Palm oil millers have tried to improve the milling technologies collectively and individually to enhance the extraction efficiency, meeting the process and product requirements. However, oil lost in the milling process remains the major issue in POM and leads to heavy loss of profit. In order to address such issue, oil recovery technologies were introduced and implemented in the current POM. Nevertheless, such technologies come with additional capital investment and operating costs that may outweigh the profit generated. Therefore, in this work, a systematic approach is presented to synthesise the palm oil milling processes with oil recovery technologies which is technically and economically feasible.

Systematic Analysis for Operability and Retrofit of Energy Systems

This chapter presents a systematic analysis framework for design operability and retrofit of energy systems. This analysis framework consists of Disruption Scenario Analysis (DSA), Feasible Operating Range Analysis (FORA) and debottlenecking analysis for an energy system design. In the proposed DSA, equipment failure scenarios are examined to determine the operability of an energy system design. Meanwhile, FORA determines the feasible operating range of an energy system, taking into account the interdependency between utilities produced and represents a range of net utility output that can be delivered within design and performance limitations. Such range allows designers to determine whether an operating energy system requires debottlenecking and retrofitting. In the event where debottlenecking of an existing energy system is required, the proposed framework incorporates step-by-step debottlenecking procedures. To illustrate the proposed framework, biomass energy system (BES) design is used as a illustrative case study. In the case study, the BES is analyzed to determine if it would require retrofitting in order to increase its heat production to 1.5 MW. Based on the results from the analysis, it is found that additonal 50% and 100% increase in anaerobic digester and fired-tube boiler capacity respectively are required. This addiotional capacities yield a favorable benefit-cost ratio (BCR) value of 1.95 which indicates that the benefits from increased heat production is greater than the costs of increasing equipment capacities, hence, making this a viable retrofit action.