ANALISIS EFISIENSI TERMAL BOILER WATERTUBE DENGAN BERBAGAI VARIASI BAHAN BAKAR

Boilers are essential equipment in industrial processes that function to generate steam by
converting water into vapor using heat energy produced from fuel combustion. The
performance of a boiler can be evaluated through its thermal efficiency, which indicates
the effectiveness of converting fuel energy into useful steam energy. This study aims to
analyze the thermal efficiency of a watertube boiler operating with various fuel
combinations.
The research method used in this study is the direct method, which compares the heat
energy contained in the produced steam with the total heat energy supplied by the fuel.
Operational data were obtained from actual boiler operating conditions over several
observation periods, including the consumption rate of bark, coal, and sludge as fuels as
well as the amount of steam produced. The calorific value of each fuel was used to
determine the total heat energy input to the boiler system.
The results show that variations in fuel composition influence the thermal efficiency of
the watertube boiler. Coal provides the largest contribution to heat energy due to its
higher calorific value compared to bark and sludge.
This study provides an overview of the influence of fuel variation on boiler performance
and can serve as a reference for improving energy efficiency and utilizing industrial
waste as an alternative energy source in steam generation systems.
Keywords: thermal efficiency, watertube boiler, fuel variation, biomass, coal.