Functional Test of Direct Contact Heat Exchanger Prototype
an Alternative Equipment for Heating Mixed Juice, a Pilot Plant Scale
Subhanuel Bahri
ABSTRAK
Telah berhasil di rekayasa dan rancangbangun prototipe Direct Contact Heat Exchanger (DCHE) skala pilot plant, yang merupakan peralatan alternatif untuk memanaskan nira mentah dan sekaligus merupakan terobosan baru di industri gula Indonesia. Hasil uji fungsional yang telah dilakukan menunjukkan bahwa prototipe DCHE dapat dioperasikan dengan baik, mantap dan stabil, sesuai dengan spesifikasi tekniknya. Koefisien Perpindahan Panas (KPP) prototipe DCHE lebih tinggi dibandingkan KPP pemanas nira mentah jenis Tubular Heat Exchanger (THE) yang umum digunakan di pabrik-pabrik gula Indonesia.
Kata kunci: alat penukar panas, nira, pabrik gula, rekayasa, tebu.
ABSTRACT
It has been designed and constructed a pilot plant scale prototype of Direct Contact Heat Exchanger (DCHE). An alternative equipment for heating mixed juice and also can be considered as a breakthrough in Indonesian sugar industry. The functional test result shows that this prototype of DCHE can be operated well, steady and stable, as conformed with it technical specifications. The Heat Transfer Coefficient (HTC) of this prototype is higher as compared with the HTC of Tubular Heat Exchanger (THE) that commonly used in Indonesian sugar factories.
Key words: heat exchanger, juice, sugar factory, design, cane.