The Effect of Giving High Voltage to the Concentration of Free Fatty

Acids in Crude Palm Oil (CPO)

Nurhafiz Ahmad Rangkuti, Kerista Tarigan and Syahrul Humaidi

Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia

Keywords: Crude Palm Oil, Free Fatty Acids, High Voltage, Flyback Transformer.

Abstract: The effect of giving a High Voltage to the concentration of free fatty acids in Crude Palm Oil has been

observed. This research was done to use 20 KV high voltage source originating from a simple circuit FBT

(Flyback Transformer) using duty cycle and the frequency used was 50% and 3 Hz respectively. In its

application, this is done by passing the high voltage to two positive and negative electrodes dipped in palm

oil with time variations of 0, 1, 2, and 3 hours. The test results show that the giving of high voltage

variations in the duration of 0, 1, 2, and 3 hours gives a change in the content of free fatty acids in CPO oil

that is equal to 5.16%, 5.42%, 3.24%, and 2.89% respectively. These results provide knowledge about a

new method that can be developed for applications to reduce levels of free fatty acids contained in CPO oil

for consumption needs such as vegetable oils which are healthier because they are low in free fatty acids.

1 INTRODUCTION

Palm oil has been one of the results of the

agricultural industry that has high economic value.

This is because this oil has been successfully

utilized into various products such as edible oils,

soaps, cosmetics and fuels (Misra & Murthy, 2011).

However, the presence of free fatty acids in palm

oil is a negative value on the use of CPO itself

(Cornelius J.A. & Agric., 1966) CPO oil which has

a high content of free fatty acids has poor quality

and provides various disadvantages so the process

of reducing free fatty acid levels needs to be done

(Atinafu & B Bedemo, 2011).

The existing method and commonly used to

reduce the content of free fatty acids is the thermal

method. The thermal method that is commonly

used in palm oil processing factories still has many

weaknesses, including the high operational costs

and the ability to reduce free fatty acid levels

themselves. Thus, alternative methods for reducing

free fatty acids are needed.

High voltage electricity has been widely

applied in various field, in this case the use of high

voltage electricity to reduce free fatty acid levels

will be carried out. High voltage generation is

generated by large and complex circuits. As

research develops on the application of high

voltage in all fields today, a simpler circuit is

needed to generate high voltage. A simpler circuit

can facilitate research in the laboratory to develop

this application (Nader & Stanly, 2015).

In high voltage equipment a simple circuit using

Flyback Transformer to produce voltages up to

kilovolts can be utilized electric fields generated

from the equipment. The effect of the electric field

that is generated can affect the properties in a

material such as: Clarity (appearance), Density,

Kinematic Viscosity (kinematic viscosity), Flash

Point (flash point), pour point (pour point)

Neutrality and Conductivity (Malik et al., 1998)

(Abdel-Salam et al., 2000); (Meher et al., 2013)

(Plank et al., 2017).

In this study, a high voltage of 40KV will be

applied to reduce the levels of free fatty acids from

CPO oil.

2 METHODS

The method of conducting this research is to design

a high voltage tool using the Flyback Transformer

method with a parallel plate to palm oil (CPO). In

the manufacture of high voltage devices using

Flyback Transformer which is coupled with a series

of circuits and produces an output voltage up to

Ahmad Rangkuti, N., Tarigan, K. and Humaidi, S.

The Effect of Giving High Voltage to the Concentration of Free Fatty Acids in Crude Palm Oil (CPO).

DOI: 10.5220/0010139400002775

In Proceedings of the 1st International MIPAnet Conference on Science and Mathematics (IMC-SciMath 2019), pages 219-221

ISBN: 978-989-758-556-2

219

kilovolts, several electronic equipment, ATmega

328, optocoupler, and driver are needed. The

advantage of using this flayback method is that it

can produce high output voltages with low input

voltages. The process of the circuit can be seen in

Figure 1 below:

Figure 1: Block Diagram of The Tool.

In the process a minimum voltage of 5 volts is

needed to activate ATmega 328, to provide

regulating the duty cycle at the foot of the Atmega

328, setting the duty cycle using a program that is

entered through a computer to the Atmega 328, the

duty cycle can be adjusted using a potentiometer

which will then be displayed on the LCD.

In this circuit all components must be in a high

voltage phase, so it is not damaged, such as the

optocoupler. The function of the optocoupler is to

deliver high voltage to the IGBT driver, which will

then be transmitted to the flyback transformer leg.

Then from the flyback a high voltage will come out

in the kilovolt scale, which is measured using a

40kV Lutron High Voltage Probe. The circuit of the

entire instrument can be seen in Figure 2 below:

Figure 2: Overall set of tools.

Simple high voltage equipment circuit can be

seen in the picture below:

Figure 3: Overall Tool Photo.

IMC-SciMath 2019 - The International MIPAnet Conference on Science and Mathematics (IMC-SciMath)

220

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

From a current of 220 ACV the current is changed to

12 DCV using a power supply and then converted to

5 DCV using a Regulator IC, which will then be

connected to the Atmega 328. From the Atmega 328

microcontroller circuit, the frequency that passes

through the optocoupler is 3 kHz.

3.1 Results of Measurements of Large

High Voltage Devices

The results of measurements of high voltage in high

voltage circuits with a probe using a 40 kV Lutron

HV probe.

Table 1: Results of Measuring High Voltage in The

Circuits.

Duty Cycle (%) frequency

(

KHz

)

Output

(

)

50 3 20

3.2 The Test Results of Free Fatty Acid

Levels (ALB)

In this study, before and after being given a high

voltage using parallel plate electrodes on palm oil

(CPO).

Table 2: Test Results for Free Fatty Acid Levels (ALB).

Time (hours) Free Fatty Acids Levels

(

)

0 5.60

1 5.42

2 3.24

3 2.89

4 CONCLUSION

Manufacture of high voltage devices using FBT

(Flyback Transformer) with an output voltage source

of 20 kV with duty cycle 50% frequency of 3 KHz

which is flowed on palm oil (CPO) to determine the

effect of a strong electric field on free fatty acids

(ALB) with a time variation of 0 , 1,2, and 3 hours

and percent change in free fatty acids (ALB)

produced 5.60%, 5.42%, 3.24%, 2.89%.

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