Silent discharge ozonizer for colour removal of treated palm oil mill effluent using a simple high frequency resonant power converter

Palm oil agricultural and industry activities generate a great amount of by product, known as palm oil mills effluent (POME). The treatment conducted using membrane bioreactor has successfully removed the heavy organic component of POME but the water that remains still contain colour as its by product. This paper proposed the use of a simple silent discharge ozonizer in colour removal of treated palm oil mill effluent (POME). The ozonizer chamber was developed from a simple planar metal dielectric barrier discharge construction. A simple high frequency power converter as power supply to the chamber was designed based on resonance phenomena. This power supply converted a direct current low voltage input into high frequency and high sinusoidal voltage output. This high voltage created micro electrical discharges inside chamber to generate ozone from oxygen molecules. At normal atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature, this ozonizer produced ozone concentration up to 1800 ppm. Ozone in a certain concentration was injected into the treated POME water through a diffuser for several minutes. As the result, the colour of treated POME water has successfully changed from 100 mg/l Pt. Co into 40 mg/l Pt. Co or lower. Visually, water colour below 40mg/l Pt. Co is considered clear. Extended the time of ozone treatment upto 15 minute has successfully reach colour abatement below 15 mL/l Pt. Co which accords to World Health Organiation (WHO) recommendation for Colour in drinking water.