Kaji CFD Efek Temperatur dan Kecepatan Aliran Uap terhadap Performa Termal dan Hidrodinamik Mesin Retort

Sterilization using retort machines plays an important role in the food industry by ensuring product safety while extending shelf life. The effectiveness of the sterilization process is influenced by the uniformity of temperature distribution and steam flow characteristics within the retort chamber. This study aims to evaluate the effects of temperature and steam flow velocity on the thermal and hydrodynamic characteristics of a retort machine and to determine operating conditions that support optimal heat transfer. The study employed the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method by varying the inlet temperature from 115 to 123°C and the steam flow velocity from 2 to 10 m/s. The analysis focused on surface temperature, heat transfer coefficient, heat transfer rate, temperature distribution, and pressure drop. The results showed that increasing the operating temperature increased the retort surface temperature from 175.965°C to 189.545°C, the heat transfer coefficient from 5.88–5.99 to 6.67–6.74 W/m².°C, and the heat transfer rate from approximately 1320 to 1371 W/m². Increasing the steam flow velocity to 10 m/s also improved heat distribution but resulted in a higher pressure drop of approximately 4.272–4.309 Pa. These findings can be utilized as a basis for determining and optimizing retort operating conditions to improve heat transfer effectiveness and support a more optimal food sterilization process.