Design and evaluation of a zero-fossil fuel distiller for bioethanol

The study developed a Zero Fossil Fuel Distiller (ZFFD) to address environmental issues on bioethanol production from Nipa Sap. The Mariano Marcos State University had developed a distiller that can produce 95% fuel grade bioethanol powered by fuelwood. While burning woods provides a good heat source, this activity's byproducts are not good for the environment. The scarcity of fuelwood will also be a problem for bulk production. Hence, the development of a ZFFD integrated with the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for easy monitoring, control, and configuration. A 10 kWp Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic System with battery backup was designed to power a 150 L capacity distiller. The power system is capable of storing excess harnessed energy to a battery and a grid for future use, as well as managing and monitoring the inflow and outflow of electricity on-site or remotely via IoT. Results show an average harnessed energy of 47.11 kWh to supply a 33.99 kWh required energy to distill 133 L of feedstock daily. The excess energy of 13.12 kWh is stored in the grid for future use. The developed ZFFD shows an improved regulation of the Kettle temperature, Column temperature, and Cooling System water flow.