Yirijor John, Bere Alice Abigail Tatenda
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Academic City University College, Haatso, Accra, Ghana.
Heliyon. 2024 Aug 9;10(16):e35717. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35717. eCollection 2024 Aug 30.
The increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions has driven interest in the utilization of agricultural residues, such as coconut shells, for bio-briquette production. This study investigates the impact of binder types (cassava and corn) and concentrations (5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%) on the properties of bio-briquettes made from dried coconut shells with two particle sizes (40 mesh and 60 mesh). The experimental evaluation focuses on several performance indicators, including density, shatter index, percentage moisture content (PMC), percentage volatile matter (PVM), percentage ash content (PAC), percentage fixed carbon (PFC), higher heating value (HHV), ignition time, burning time, and boiling time. The results indicate that briquettes with 10 % fine charcoal cassava binder achieved the highest density of 0.764 g/cm³ due to improved compaction. Briquettes with 15 % coarse charcoal corn binder demonstrated the highest shatter resistance at 96.99 %, reflecting their superior structural integrity. The highest PMC and PVM values were observed in briquettes with 15 % coarse charcoal cassava binder, at 8.13 % and 31.25 %, respectively. Conversely, the highest PAC was 16.34 % for 5 % coarse charcoal cassava binder. Briquettes with 10 % fine charcoal corn binder exhibited the highest PFC of 70.79 % and HHV of 31.51 MJ/kg. Boiling times ranged from 15 min 53 s to 36 min 35 s, with the shortest boiling time for briquettes with 10 % fine charcoal corn binder. The findings highlight the superior mechanical properties and energy performance of bio-briquettes with specific binder concentrations and particle sizes. This study demonstrates the potential of coconut shell bio-briquettes as a viable and sustainable energy source, offering economic and environmental benefits through the effective utilization of agricultural waste and reduction of carbon emissions.
对可持续能源解决方案日益增长的需求激发了人们对利用农业残余物（如椰壳）生产生物型煤的兴趣。本研究调查了粘结剂类型（木薯和玉米）及浓度（5重量%、10重量%、15重量%）对由两种粒径（40目和60目）的干椰壳制成的生物型煤性能的影响。实验评估集中于几个性能指标，包括密度、抗碎指数、水分含量百分比（PMC）、挥发物百分比（PVM）、灰分含量百分比（PAC）、固定碳百分比（PFC）、高位发热量（HHV）、着火时间、燃烧时间和沸腾时间。结果表明，含10%细木炭木薯粘结剂的型煤由于压实效果改善，达到了最高密度0.764克/立方厘米。含15%粗木炭玉米粘结剂的型煤表现出最高抗碎性，为96.99%，反映出其卓越的结构完整性。含15%粗木炭木薯粘结剂的型煤中观察到最高的PMC和PVM值，分别为8.13%和31.25%。相反，含5%粗木炭木薯粘结剂的型煤灰分含量最高，为16.34%。含10%细木炭玉米粘结剂的型煤表现出最高的PFC，为70.79%，HHV为31.51兆焦/千克。沸腾时间从15分53秒到36分35秒不等，含10%细木炭玉米粘结剂的型煤沸腾时间最短。研究结果突出了特定粘结剂浓度和粒径的生物型煤卓越的机械性能和能源性能。本研究证明了椰壳生物型煤作为一种可行且可持续能源的潜力，通过有效利用农业废弃物和减少碳排放带来经济和环境效益。
