Analysis of Capacity and Design Criteria Assessment of a Microalgae-Based Water Filter for the Exhaust Emission Load of a Fire Pump: A Case Study at AFT Husein Sastranegara

Imam Hanafi¹, Milly Cynara Fayyaza Akhtar¹, Citra Adinda Maharani¹, Bimastyaji Surya Ramadan^1*, Boy Presley Panjaitan², Juan Maiyzar Akhirin², Alifya Hananta Rachmayani²

Abstract

The diesel fire pump at the Husein Sastranegara Aviation Fuel Terminal releases CO, NOx, and other pollutants through its stack. CO is closest to its emission standard, so the company made it the control target and applied a microalgae-based water filter to the stack. This study analyzed the capacity and design criteria conformity of an unbaffled acrylic cylindrical chamber holding 80 L of water with Chlorella sp. to the pump exhaust load. Pre- and post-installation emission tests, chamber specifications, the engine datasheet, and the pump operating pattern were used to calculate the aeration rate, gas dissolution capacity, CO₂ fixation capacity, and hydrostatic pressure against literature ranges. The aeration rate reached 14.6–123.8 vvm, 15–124 times the upper literature limit, and the water became saturated with CO₂ within 0.4–6.4 s and with CO and NO in under half a second. One 15–20 min running test delivered 1.1–23.0 kg of CO₂, whereas the weekly fixation capacity of the culture was only about 386 g. The hydrostatic pressure (2.9–3.1 kPa) was below the engine’s 7.5 kPa back-pressure limit. Measured CO decreased by 19.9% and measured NOx increased by 18.6%, whereas concentrations corrected to 15% O₂ decreased by 40.7% and 12.3%, all meeting the 101–500 kW class standard. Different O₂ contents between tests indicate different engine loads, so these reductions cannot yet be attributed to chamber performance. Development could focus on matching gas flow to culture volume, adding baffles, catalytic oxidation for CO, and simultaneous inlet and outlet measurements at the same engine load.

Keywords

Chlorella sp.; carbon monoxide; exhaust emission; fire pump; microalgae; water filter

Cite This Article

Hanafi, I., Akhtar, M. C. F., Maharani, C. A., Ramadan, B. S., Panjaitan, B. P., Akhirin, J. M., Rachmayani, A. H. (2026). Analysis of Capacity and Design Criteria Assessment of a Microalgae-Based Water Filter for the Exhaust Emission Load of a Fire Pump: A Case Study at AFT Husein Sastranegara. International Journal of Scientific Advances (IJSCIA), Volume 7| Issue 5: Sep – Oct 2026, Pages 801-813. URL: https://www.ijscia.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Volume7-Issue5-Sep-Oct-No.1101-801-813.pdf

Volume 7 | Issue 5: Sep – Oct 2026