STUDI NUMERIK KOMPARASI MODEL GEOMETRI ABSORBER TERHADAP KINERJA TERMAL SISTEM PENGERING PASCAPANEN

Abstract

Solar-based post-harvest drying is a sustainable solution to improve the quality and shelf life of agricultural products in tropical regions. The thermal performance of solar drying systems is strongly influenced by the absorber geometry as the main heat-absorbing component. This study aims to analyze the effect of absorber geometry variation on the thermal performance of a solar collector for post-harvest drying applications. A numerical approach based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was employed using ANSYS Fluent under steady-state airflow conditions and uniform heat flux. Three copper absorber configurations were investigated: flat plate, 6-fin absorber, and 12-fin absorber. The evaluated parameters include temperature distribution, outlet air temperature, and inlet pressure. The results indicate that finned absorbers significantly enhance outlet air temperature compared to the flat-plate configuration, with the 12-fin absorber providing the highest thermal performance at the expense of increased pressure drop. These findings highlight a trade-off between thermal enhancement and airflow resistance. The study implies that absorber geometry optimization is an effective strategy to improve solar collector performance for post-harvest drying systems.