Studi Pemanfaatan Condensate Outlet Steam Trap Sebagai Air Umpan Boiler di Pabrik Amoniak Pusri-IB

Abstract

Sebagai produsen amoniak dan urea, PT. Pusri memerlukan steam dalam jumlah yang relatif besar. Steam di pabrik amoniak digunakan sebagai bahan baku pabrik amoniak, sebagai pemanas dan penggerak turbin. Tekanan steam yang digunakan di pabrik Amoniak P-IB bervariasi, dari 3,5 kg/cm2gauge sampai 123 kg/cm2gauge. Distribusi steam yang dialirkan melalui pipa menuju peralatan mengakibatkan kehilangan panas ke lingkungan. Hal ini menyebabkan terbentuknya steam condensate di sepanjang aliran pipa. Selama ini steam condensate yang keluar dari pipa melalui steam trap langsung dibuang ke sewer. Studi ini dimaksudkan untuk menghitung laju kondensasi steam dan kelayakan ekonomi untuk memanfaatkan steam condensate tersebut sebagai air umpan boiler di pabrik Amoniak P-IB.
Perpindahan panas di pipa dihitung menggunakan prinsip perpindahan panas konduksi, konveksi dan radiasi. Perhitungan laju kondensasi steam dilakukan dengan variasi tekanan steam 123, 42 dan 3,5 kg/cm2gauge, variasi tebal pipa 4 hingga 20 inchi serta variasi tebal isolasi 1 sampai 4 inch. Laju kondensasi steam dinyatakan dalam suatu persamaan matematis yang merupakan fungsi dari tebal isolasi dan diameter pipa.
Hasil perhitungan menunjukkan bahwa laju kondensasi steam membesar bila tekanan steam naik, tebal isolasi turun, dan diameter pipa membesar. Penghematan yang didapat apabila steam condensate dimanfaatkan sebagai air umpan boiler berasal dari penghematan produksi air demin dan penghematan bahan bakar akibat perbedaan suhu antara steam condensate dan air demin dengan simple payback period selama 0,9 tahun.

Kata kunci: steam condensate, kehilangan panas, laju kondensasi steam, penghematan

As ammonia and urea producer, PT. Pusri consumes a lot of steam, which is used as raw material in ammonia plant, as well as heating medium and turbine driving agent. Steam pressure used in the P-IB Ammonia plant varies from 3.5 to 123 kg/cm2gauge. Distribution system of steam piping to the equipments causes heat loss to the environment. This leads to the production of steam condensate flowing along the pipe. The steam condensate from the pipe (through the steam trap) is directly discharged into the sewer. The present study aimed to determine the rate of steam condensation and to elaborate an economic feasibility to utilize the condensate as boiler feed water in the Ammonia plant P-IB.
Calculation of heat transfer in the pipes was based on the principles of conduction, convection and radiation. The rate of steam condensation was calculated with steam pressure variation from 3.5 to 123 kg/cm2gauge, pipe diameter from 4 to 20-inch and insulation thickness of 1 to 4 inches. The rate of condensation was expressed in a mathematical equation and was a function of insulation thickness and diameter of pipe.
The results showed that the rate of steam condensation rised as steam pressure and pipe diameter increased and insulation thickness decreased. Operating cost reduced if the steam condensate was used as boiler feed water replacing demineralized water. This also caused reduction of fuel consumption and therefore resulted in simple payback period of 0.9 years.

Keywords: steam condensate, heat loss, steam condensation rate,cost reduction