Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Penelitian ini mengkaji pengaruh tiga jenis material isolasi setebal 12 mm (mineral fiber ceiling tile, multiplek, dan Styrofoam) terhadap kehilangan panas serta keseragaman suhu pada alat pengering bertingkat 14 rak berbahan bakar LPG yang dioperasikan pada suhu 90°C, mengingat semakin banyak rak berarti semakin luas permukaan dinding yang berpotensi kehilangan panas ke lingkungan; pengukuran suhu dilakukan setiap 20 menit selama 120 menit lalu dianalisis menggunakan persamaan konduksi steady-state dan data konsumsi LPG. Dibandingkan kondisi tanpa isolasi yang kehilangan panasnya mencapai 937,3 W, ketiga material terbukti menurunkannya menjadi 550,5 W (multiplek), 422,2 W (mineral fiber ceiling tile), dan paling rendah 354,9 W (Styrofoam), dan Styrofoam pula yang unggul dalam meratakan suhu antar rak (selisih hanya 3,3°C) serta menghemat LPG paling besar (62,75%), sehingga disimpulkan sebagai material isolasi terbaik untuk diterapkan pada desain alat pengering bertingkat yang lebih hemat energi.
Kata Kunci: alat pengering bertingkat, kehilangan panas, material isolasi, distribusi suhu, konduksi termal

This study investigates the effect of three 12 mm-thick insulation materials (mineral fiber ceiling tile, plywood, and Styrofoam) on heat loss and temperature uniformity in a 14-tray LPG-fired dryer operated at 90°C. As the number of trays increases, the wall surface area also increases, resulting in greater potential for heat loss to the surrounding environment. Temperature measurements were recorded every 20 minutes over a 120-minute operating period and analyzed using the steady-state heat conduction equation together with LPG consumption data. Compared with the uninsulated condition, which exhibited a heat loss of 937.3 W, the application of insulation reduced heat loss to 550.5 W for plywood, 422.2 W for mineral fiber ceiling tile, and the lowest value of 354.9 W for Styrofoam. Styrofoam also provided the most uniform temperature distribution among the trays, with a maximum temperature difference of only 3.3°C, and achieved the highest LPG savings of 62.75%. Therefore, Styrofoam is concluded to be the most effective insulation material for improving the energy efficiency of multi-tray dryer designs. Keywords: multi-tray dryer, heat loss, insulation material, temperature distribution, thermal conduction.