Inspection Study of Tempe Fermentation Cabinet Through Computational Modeling To Determine Temperature And Humidity Distribution

The fermentation process used in making tempe, which involves the fungus Rhizopus oligosporus, often poses a risk of contamination by pathogenic microbes if not carried out properly. In addition, the use of unclean raw materials or less than optimal sanitation conditions can cause tempe to be unsafe for consumption. In addition, environmental factors are also a concern, such as deforestation caused by high demand for soybeans, the main raw material in making tempe, and the negative impact on environmental sustainability that can occur due to waste disposal from the production process. In overcoming these problems, it is important to prioritize hygienic processing practices, develop innovative technologies to monitor and control product quality. One such technology is the semi-automatic tempe fermentation cabinet. This study discussed about computational modeling to analyze heat transfer and humidity in the fermentation process. The simulation results show that in a fermentation time of 30 hours, the temperature inside the cabinet is in the range of 33 - 34 degrees C. Humidity values are in the range of 58 - 66%. The highest temperature is in the heating element blower area at 192.87 deg C.