Hanifah Madriyah Intan Permata Sari, Cintiya Septa Hasannah

the Initiation of Direct Contact Heat Exchanger Addition at the Evaporation Station of the X Sugar Mill

Introduction

The initiation of direct contact heat exchanger addition at the evaporation station of the x sugar mill. Designed a Direct Contact Heat Exchanger (DCHE) for X Sugar Mill's evaporation station. Saves 14,467 tons/hour steam, boosting sugar production capacity and proving economic feasibility.

Abstract

White crystal sugar is one of the plantation commodities that is widely produced because it is widely consumed by the people of Indonesia. White crystalline sugar at Sugar X Factory is made from sugarcane sap which has gone through the refining stage into clear sap and then concentrated using an evaporator to become thick sap, where thick sap will become white crystalline sugar after crystallization. In the process of converting clear sap into viscous sap, it requires quite a lot of steam in the evaporator, causing the used steam in the Sugar Factory to be consumed more by the Evaporation Station. In fact, in the Sugar X factory, many steam has not been able to thicken the clear sap to the maximum due to the considerable workload. This is because the incoming temperature is very low, so the temperature must be raised in order to reach the flash point to evaporate. A direct contact heat exchanger equipment needs to be installed before entering the evaporator at the Evaporation Station of the X Sugar Factory. The purpose of this research is to obtain a direct contact heat exchanger or DCHE design which will then be installed at the X Sugar Factory Evaporation Station. To obtain the desired direct contact heat exchanger design, actual data, literature data, and assumption data are needed. Based on calculations, this DCHE has an outer diameter of 1,062 meters with a height of 8,628 meters. Based on calculations, this DCHE has an outer diameter of 1,062 meters with a height of 8,628 meters. After calculation, it was found that this tool can save used steam consumption as much as 14,467 tons / hour and can increase the capacity of the tool from 5,622 TCD to 6,371 TCD, so that this equipment is considered feasible in terms of economy and use for use as a preheater before entering the evaporator of the Evaporation Station.

Review

This manuscript addresses a pertinent issue within the sugar industry, focusing on enhancing the efficiency of the evaporation station at X Sugar Mill. The abstract clearly identifies a significant operational bottleneck: excessive steam consumption and sub-optimal thickening of clear sap due to low incoming temperatures. This problem directly impacts the overall energy efficiency and productivity of sugar production. The proposed solution, the installation of a Direct Contact Heat Exchanger (DCHE) as a preheater, is a practical engineering intervention aimed at mitigating this challenge by raising the sap temperature before it enters the evaporator, thereby reducing the workload on the evaporators. The research's primary objective is to develop a DCHE design suitable for the specified application. The methodology involves utilizing a combination of actual plant data, relevant literature, and necessary assumptions to derive the design parameters. The abstract presents concrete calculated results: a DCHE with an outer diameter of 1.062 meters and a height of 8.628 meters. Crucially, the projected benefits are quantified, indicating an impressive potential saving of 14.467 tons/hour in used steam consumption and a substantial increase in processing capacity from 5,622 TCD to 6,371 TCD. These figures strongly support the conclusion that the proposed DCHE is economically and operationally feasible for implementation as a preheater. While the abstract effectively highlights a clear problem, a practical solution, and compelling quantitative benefits, some areas could be strengthened for a full paper. The methodology for *calculating* the steam savings and capacity increase, beyond merely designing the DCHE, warrants more explicit detail (e.g., thermodynamic modeling, simulation software). Furthermore, while "feasible in terms of economy and use" is stated, a more detailed breakdown of the economic analysis, perhaps including payback period or return on investment, would add significant value. Future work could also consider potential operational challenges during implementation, such as material compatibility, fouling, or control strategies for the DCHE, to provide a more comprehensive assessment. Nevertheless, the presented abstract provides a solid foundation for an impactful study on industrial energy optimization.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.