Rancang Bangun dan Pengujian Mesin Pembeku Tipe Lempeng Sentuh dengan Suhu Media Pembeku Bertahap

Abstract

Commercial freezer generally use fixed medium temperature during thefreezing process, which caused considerable destruction of exergy and is believedto be the source of energy inefficiency. Previous research has tried to design and analyse a contact plate freezer freezing process with stepping medium temperature. However, thermal losses was occured as caused by friction between the bottom of the produce with the freezing plate, and exerts 4-5 °C temperature is increased to the products. Therefore, it is necessary to design a freezer with stepping medium temperature without thermal losses. This study is devoted to the design of a contact plate freezer with variable medium temperature. The freezer is designed using one evaporator with three expansion valve, so that the temperature can be changed during the freezing process by changing the expansion valve to be used. The freezer was designed in laboratory scale using a compressor with refrigeration capacity of 718 watts. The freezing chamber has dimension of 25.1 cm × 24.7 cm × 14.8 cm with freezing plate made of copper material with a thickness of 3 mm. The results show that medium temperature of the freezer can be varied by the average temperature every stage is -4.88, -8.30, and -14.26 °C. The test results indicated that the COP of the freezer was 4.10. Pressure decrease along the evaporator ranges from 33.1 unti 100.5 kPa. Stepping medium temperature can increase the efficiency of exergy amounted 8.3 % by decreasing exergy loss amount 0.868 kJ.