Distillation is the most extensively used in separation process of the chemical industry. Relationships between non-linear variables, multivariable interactions, dynamic system properties, and other irregularities render the study of design simulation and process optimization an interesting challenge for process engineers. The objective of the process optimization is to produce the most economical to conduct the system. This paper discusses the process engineering strategy started from the determination method of the degree of freedom, design variables, process tools, economic parameters, and the optimization process. The distillation variable optimized in this study was limited to reflux ratio. The optimum variable was construed from the reflux ratio producing the lowest total annual cost (TAC). Furthermore, it was analyzed the energy cost as optimization parameter in the total annual cost (TAC) calculation method to obtain minimum reflux ratio in distillation unit.
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<p>Drying is an important process in onion bulb processing to preserve product quality and storage time. This paper discusses how to find an onion bulb with acceptable moisture content and high ingredient retention rate with minimized heat usage. As indicators, moisture content, riboflavin (Vitamin B<sub>2</sub>) content, and heat efficiency are evaluated at different drying temperatures and air relative humidity. In doing so, the response surface method is employed to find the most favorable drying condition. Polynomial regression was found to be a good fit in predicting moisture content, while heat efficiency response is significantly fit after dehumidification is applied. Moreover, onion drying with air dehumidification has more advantages than that of without dehumidification. With low air relative and medium drying temperature, the heat efficiency of the onion bulb drying can be positively improved with an acceptable riboflavin retention. Analysis of variance revealed that air dehumidification and drying temperature have a significant impact on the drying time and heat efficiency. However, at high air temperatures, the effect of air dehumidification is limited.</p>
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