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Conventional energy resources decrease worldwide with increasing population and technology advancement. Sustainable Energy Authority of Sri Lanka focuses on total replacement of fossil fuel by renewable energy sources by 2050. Water hyacinth is a renewable energy source as it has considerable energy potential within and it is invasive to Sri Lanka. This study aims to identify the ideal proportion of the saw dust: water hyacinth and cow dung: water hyacinth to produce briquettes for biomass boilers in industries. Saw dust was mixed with water hyacinth in 25:75-S1, 50:50-S2 and 75:25-S3 proportions. Cow dung was mixed with water hyacinth as above proportions (C1, C2 and C3). Energy briquettes were manufactured using screw type extruder briquetting machine. Energy properties including moisture content, volatile matter content, ash content, fixed carbon and calorific value and mechanical properties including bulk density, durability, water resistance capacity and water boiling time were measured and fuel wood value indices of briquettes were calculated. In saw dust-water hyacinth briquettes, there is no any significant difference between three types for fuel value indices and density. S2 type of briquettes perform better as they have significantly higher calorific value (19.17 kJ/g) and water resistance capacity (98.73%) and significantly lower moisture content (5.32%) and water boiling time (10 minutes). In cow dung-water hyacinth briquettes, C1 and C2 types of briquettes have significantly higher FVI. C2 type of briquette have significantly higher volatile matter content (75.54%) and significantly lower moisture content 5.81%) and fixed carbon content (10.0%). C1 type of briquettes took significantly lower time (21 min) to boil one litre of water. C2 type of water hyacinth-cow dung briquettes can be considered as the best in terms of energy and mechanical properties.

Five blends prepared with torrified sawdust, coal plus either coal tar, coal tar sludge, paraffin or molasses designed to serve as binder in the preparation of briquettes were pyrolysed in a rotary oven. The coal and the torrified sawdust used in the preparation of the blends were also studied. The condensable gases were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The permanent gases were also analyzed by gas chromatography. The concentration of nineteen polyaromatic hydrocarbons in the condensable products was analyzed with special focus on those considered as priority and carcinogenic pollutants. The results obtained from FTIR were confirmed by those obtained by GC. It was found that the inclusion of biomass produces a decrease in the amount of (polyaromatic hydrocarbons) PAHs in the condensable pyrolysis products and an increase in the concentration of CO2 in the gases, although these gases are carbon neutral., The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Research Programme of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) research programme under grant agreement No. [RFCR-CT-2014-00006].

Dried leaves are a potential source of energy although these are not commonly used beside to satisfy daily energy demands in rural areas. This paper aims at preparing a leafy biomass feedstock in the form of briquettes which can be directly used for combustion or to extract the combustible gas using a gasifier. Teak (Tectona grandis) and rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) leaves are considered for the present study. A binder-assisted briquetting technique with tapioca starch as binder is adopted. Properties of these leafy biomass briquettes such as moisture content, calorific value, compressive strength, and shatter index are determined. From the study, briquettes with biomass-to-binder ratio of 3:5 are found to be stable. Higher mass percentage of binder is considered for preparation of briquettes due to the fact that leafy biomasses do not adhere well on densification with lower binder content. Ultimate analysis test is conducted to analyze the gasification potential of the briquettes. Results show that the leafy biomass prepared from teak and rubber leaves has calorific values of 17.5 and 17.8 MJ/kg, respectively, which are comparable with those of existing biomass feedstock made of sawdust, rice husk, and rice straw.

Biomass densification processes increase fuel energy density for more efficient transport. This study presents new data to show that blending different types of biomass improves the properties of densified biomass briquettes. The specific objectives were to investigate the effects of sample batch (biomass source), material ratio (rice husks to corn cobs), addition of binder (starch and water mixture) and compaction pressure, on briquette properties, using a factorial experiment. Briquettes had a unit density of up to 1.9 times the loose biomass bulk density, and were stronger than briquettes from the individual materials. Considering average values from two biomass sources, an unconfined compressive strength of 176 kPa was achieved at a compaction pressure of 31 MPa for a 3:7 blend of rice husks to corn cobs with 10% binder. These briquettes were durable, with only 4% mass loss during abrasion and 10% mass loss during shattering tests. They absorbed 36% less water than loose corn cobs. Statistical analysis of the results showed that starch and water addition was required for adequate briquette strength, but significantly reduced green and relaxed densities. The source of the biomass had a significant effect on densification, which emphasises the need to understand factors underlying biomass variability.

Miscanthus giganteus biomass has a very good quality for combustion (similar as a light coal or wood, up to 19.6 MJ/kg dry matter) and has positive ecological impact for marginal land that makes this crop suitable as bioenergy resources for small scale heating systems. The most important technology to make easily available Miscanthus giganteus feedstock on the market is biomass briquetting or pelleting. This study was conducted to determine the capability of mixing Miscanthus giganteus biomass with other vegetable biomass (straw, wood sawdust, or other energetic plants) to obtain briquettes and pellets. Different characteristics were studied as: percentage of variable biomass mixed with Miscanthus (30%, 50%, 70%), humidity variation (wt = 9 – 13%) and quality of final product. The efficient densification process of various biomass plants depends on these properties and on used technologies. Combustion properties of mixed biomass briquettes and pellets (ash content and composition, calorific values, emissions characteristics) have been determined as well. Results are showing that slag problems may be disturbing the combustion process and that the temperature is a critical factor (best results in combustion efficiency are above 1000 °C). In order to ensure the productivity for making available constantly processed products (briquettes, pellets), different heating installations need adjustments to increase the efficiency for mixed biomass combustion.

This paper presents the results of an investigative study to determine the impact of leaching agricultural biomass on gaseous emissions and total suspended particles. Gaseous emission and total suspended particulates were measured in the stack of a domestic wood stove fired with leached and un-leached briquettes produced from commonly available agricultural biomass feedstock grown in Nova Scotia, Canada. The study primarily focuses on reducing gaseous and particulate emissions by leaching the biomass feedstock with water, prior to conversion and comparing against un-leached biomass feedstock. The result showed that the process of leaching significantly improved the fuel properties of the feedstock; however, a proportional reduction in gaseous and particulate matter emissions was not evident.

In this paper, the effects of temperature and CO2 content on CO2 reduction (utilization) efficiency and physicochemical properties of pyrolysis/gasification biochar briquettes were investigated. The CO2 reduction (utilization) efficiency (CRE) reached the peak value of 74.9% in a 10% CO2/90% N2 atmosphere at 600 °C. The crackings of hydroxyl, C C bonds, methyl and methylene groups of biochars briquette were enhanced by high temperature and CO2. The increase of CO2 concentration was beneficial for developing biochar microporosity, but not conductive to enhance higher heating value, volume density and durability of biochar briquette. To get a higher CRE and make feasible biochar briquettes are the primary goal for this work. Therefore, the optimal introduced CO2 to biomass ratio is calculated to be 135 g/kg for experiments done with 10% CO2 with N2 at 600 °C.

Deforestation has significantly affected availability of reliable low cost energy resources in low income rural households. As a result, off grid communities are becoming less and less reliant on round wood for energy. However, large amounts of agricultural and forestry residues that are produced annually are destroyed in perennial veld fires and some are deliberately destroyed to prepare for new crop fields. Accessing these loose agricultural and forest residues for energy use is one possible panacea. In the process, the challenges of deforestation can also be partly addressed. The main aim of this paper is to report on adopted methods to produce loose biomass briquettes using agricultural and forestry residues collected from the Maphophe village in Limpopo Province of South Africa. The goal was to avail workable processes for harnessing energy from loose biomass available in this locality. Production methods, energy content and combustion behaviour formed key performance variables. Two types of binders were tried, namely cow dung and cactus plant paste. A 30 tonne hydraulic press was using to compact the mixture of loose biomass and binder into briquettes. Out of 12 loose biomass samples collected, the best performing include ground nutshells, Mopani leaves, yellow thatching grass and sugarcane leaves. Performance was based on density, energy content and combustion behaviour. Cow dung was found to be the best binder and produced briquettes that offer a viable energy source for off grid communities.

Palm kernel shell biochars (PKSB) ejected as residues from a gasifier have been used for solid fuel briquette production. With this approach, palm kernel shells can be used for energy production twice: first, by producing rich syngas during gasification; second, by compacting the leftover residues from gasification into high calorific value briquettes. Herein, the process parameters for the manufacture of PKSB biomass briquettes via compaction are optimized. Two possible optimum process scenarios are considered. In the first, the compaction speed is increased from 0.5 to 10 mm/s, the compaction pressure is decreased from 80 Pa to 40 MPa, the retention time is reduced from 10 s to zero, and the starch binder content of the briquette is halved from 0.1 to 0.05 kg/kg. With these adjustments, the briquette production rate increases by more than 20-fold; hence capital and operational costs can be reduced and the service life of compaction equipment can be increased. The resulting product satisfactorily passes tensile (compressive) crushing strength and impact resistance tests. The second scenario involves reducing the starch weight content to 0.03 kg/kg, while reducing the compaction pressure to a value no lower than 60 MPa. Overall, in both cases, the PKSB biomass briquettes show excellent potential as a solid fuel with calorific values on par with good-quality coal.CHNS: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur; FFB: fresh fruit bunch(es); HHV: higher heating value [J/kg]; LHV: lower heating value [J/kg]; PKS: palm kernel shell(s); PKSB: palm kernel shell biochar(s); POME: palm oil mill effluent; RDF: refuse-derived fuel; TGA: thermogravimetric analysis.

Biomass briquettes are hailed as a fitting solution to cooking and space heating which are primary and most energy intensive domestic activities entrapping low income households in poverty. Yet, the uncarbonised briquettes and pellets commonly produced burn out fast, are smoky and users seem not to like them.

Reliance on round wood for heating and cooking has increased the percentage of deforestation to 0.7% per annum especially within sub-Saharan region where communities live off the electricity supply grid. The majority of these communities rely on agriculture and forestry activities for sustenance. Therefore, large amounts of agricultural and forestry residues are produced annually although they are considered to be of low energy content. This paper investigates the combustion behaviour of the loose biomass briquettes produced from residues collected from a rural community in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. These included mopane leaves, ground nut shells, sugar cane leaves, yellow thatching grass, cactus plant and cow dung among others. Biomass briquettes were produced from these residues for various proportions and compaction pressures (6, 12 and 19 MPa) with cow dung or cactus plant as a binder. The produced briquettes were tested for energy content and burnt in a biomass briquette stove while monitoring mass decay or burn rate and temperatures. The optimum briquettes were found to be of the cow dung binding compacted at a pressure of 19 MPa.

A technical and socio-economic feasibility study of biomass briquette production was performed in Iloilo City, Philippines, by integrating a registered group of the informal sector. The study has shown that the simulated production of biomass briquettes obtained from the municipal waste stream could lead to a feasible on-site fuel production line after determining its usability, quality and applicability to the would-be users. The technology utilized for briquetting is not complicated when operated due to its simple, yet sturdy design with suggestive results in terms of production rate, bulk density and heating value of the briquettes produced. Quality briquettes were created from mixtures of waste paper, sawdust and carbonized rice husk, making these material flows a renewable source of cost-effective fuels. An informal sector that would venture into briquette production can be considered profitable for small business enterprising, as demonstrated in the study. The informal sector from other parts of the world, having similar conditionality with that of the Uswag Calajunan Livelihood Association, Inc. (UCLA), could play a significant role in the recovery of these reusable waste materials from the waste stream and can add value to them as alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR) for household energy supply using appropriate technologies.

Building on its previous work on clean cooking in Africa, the World Bank has begun to explore intervention strategies for the clean cooking sector that move beyond stoves to examine the potential for cleaner-burning biomass fuels. This report focuses on the potential for scaling biofuel markets in the region for cooking as opposed to heating or industrial uses, specifically carbonized and uncarbonized biomass briquettes, biomass pellets, ethanol fuel, and ethanol gel. Models are explored for scaling the cooking fuel value chains while balancing the environmental health, social, and economic impacts of the fuels at the household and national level. While this report focuses solely on pellets, briquettes, and ethanol, referred to here as alternative biofuels, LPG, electricity, and biogas also have a role to play in a clean cooking ecosystem.

Palm oil is the most widely sold oil across the globe. The production of palm oil results in vast amounts of biomass waste. The palm kernel shells (PKS) can be used for energy production through gasification or combined heat and power (CHP). After gasification, some PKS remains as charred residue. In this manuscript, briquettes/pellets are produced from these biochars. The palm kernel shell biochars (PKSB) show very high calorific value exceeding typical values for biomass. The effects of water content, compaction pressure, feed particle size, compaction retention time, and the use of starch as a binder have been studied. The tensile crushing strength, impact resistance, and water resistance (immersion tests) show that the starch binder is imperative for suitable briquette quality. The use of starch increases the tensile crushing strength from less than 40 kN m � 2 to more than 800 kN m � 2 in the weakest (longitudinal) orientation. The tensile crushing strength of the starch-bound briquettes increases as their water content evaporates during storage and curing. It is speculated that the evaporation of water from the starch-bound sample allows for better cementing of the starch and PKSB particles.

The thermogravimetry (TG) of typical biomass briquettes used as fuel in southern China was analysed to investigate the influences of fuel grain size and heating rate on combustion. The results suggested that grain size and heating rate exerted little influence on combustion. In accordance with the data and the TG results obtained from the fuel, a biomass grate incinerator process was numerically simulated using fluid dynamics-based incinerator code (FLIC) software to obtain the solid phase temperature distribution of the fuel along the bed length, the spatial temperature distribution of flue gas, and the underlying variation laws of the primary components. A comparison of the mass-loss curves from the numerical simulation to the TG analysis demonstrated that the two curves exhibited consistently staged variations, including dehydration and drying, fast pyrolysis and combustion of volatiles, and the burnout of residual carbon. The specific characteristics of the fuel obtained from these tests improved the accuracy of the numerical simulation, while the variations in temperature and components obtained were conducive to optimising the combustion process of a biomass incinerator.

The present study involves the preparation and characterization of the biomass briquettes made from saw dust and rice husk. Five samples with different compositions were prepared using the old news papers as the binder for both the biomass. Ultimate analysis, proximate analysis, heating value and handling characteristic of all the samples were determined. It was observed that the compositions of the biomass sawdust (BMS)-15 and biomass rice husk (BMR)-15 are suitable for the downdraft gasifier.

This study was aimed to investigate the combustion characteristics of briquette fuel produced from sawdust mixed with glycerin. The study compared the combustion temperatures and mass reduction over time during combustion. The environmental impact was also studied by detecting acrolein gas. The experiments were carried out using briquette fuel mixed by sawdust, molass and glycerin of different ratios. The results indicated that increasing of the ratio of glycerin affected on higher combustion temperature, and higher mass reduction. Acrolein gas was found in exhaust at maximum of 48.6 ppm. This quantity of toxic gas was acceptable.

A briquetted biomass co-firing mode that is feasible in China and other areas with dispersedly distributed biomass resources was proposed, and the details and characteristics of this mode are discussed. Raw biomass from sources such as corn stalks, twigs, and straws was crushed in farmlands and then transported to briquetting stations. The crushed biomass was dried and compressed into briquettes until the moisture content was less than 25%. Finally, the biomass briquettes was stored and delivered to plants like coals for combustion. One of the six layers of the pulverizing system in a 300 MW power plant could be used, and 100% biomass briquettes could be ground by an existing MPS medium speed pulverizer. The biomass briquettes could then be delivered directly into the furnace by primary air. No additional equipment investments were needed for the plant because almost all equipments were already available. Advantages such as cost-effective on biomass collection and transportation, high efficiency and low cost on biomass preprocessing, biomass briquette economic grinding and feeding, and efficient and clean combustion could be realized by this method. The economic sustainability of this mode was also analyzed.

The production of biomass pellets and briquettes from agroforestry residues has increased rapidly in recent years. The design of machines, equipment and the infrastructure necessary for the handling, transport and storage of these products has been an engineering challenge since, when moving, biomass does not usually flow as easily as other granular materials. The discrete element method (DEM) provides a means of studying the handling and silo discharge behaviour of granular solids as well as the distribution of the pressures exerted by such materials in silos. However, the development of such models requires certain properties of the particles in question to be known. The present work experimentally determines the true density, Young's modulus of elasticity (axial and radial), the particle–particle restitution coefficient and the particle–wall friction coefficient—all variables that must be known in the construction of DEM models—for briquettes made from maize stalk, maize stalk plus pine wood chips, rice husk, vine shoots, rape straw, cereal straw and sawdust plus cereal straw.

In this study, production and characterization of hybrid biomass briquettes using two major agricultural wastes was carried out. Briquettes were produced from sawdust of the specie Albiziazygia and sorghum dust using native cassava starch as binder. Five different composition of sawdust/sorghum dust hybrid briquette were produced, moisture content, compressive test, ash content, calorific test and burning efficiency tests were carried to determine the physical and mechanical properties of the hybrid briquette. Test results show that moisture content varies from 6.83% to 29.70%, compressive load at break varies from 4.94KN to 15.18KN, ash content varies from 2.85% to 17.14%, calorific value varies from 3.83MJ/kg to 10.43MJ/kg and burning efficiency varies from 1.57% to 6.63%.

Pyrolysis of corn stalk biomass briquettes was carried out in a developed microwave (MW) reactor supplied with 2.45GHz frequency using 3kW power generator. MW power and biomass loading were the key parameters investigated in this study. Highest bio-oil, biochar, and gas yield of 19.6%, 41.1%, and 54.0% was achieved at different process condition. In terms of quality, biochar exhibited good heating value (32MJ/kg) than bio-oil (2.47MJ/kg). Bio-oil was also characterised chemically using FTIR and GC-MS method. This work may open new dimension towards development of large-scale MW pyrolysis technology.

Biomass waste that has not been utilized properly is rice husk and jatropha seed waste, and there is a future need for efficient utilization of these wastes. Rice husk is the outermost part of the rice seed, the rice milling process produced 20% - 30% of the waste as rice husks. Jatropha shell waste is a de-oiled part of jatropha seed after the oil extraction process for biodiesel production, and produced 70% of waste. As biomass, both materials are potential sources of carbon that can be utilized as an alternative energy sources such as bio-briquettes. The method used in this research is experimental method including drying of the biomass material sample, carbonization process, refine and filtration using 40 mesh sieve (420 μm). The composition of the selected charcoal mixture is 80:20 and 50:50, and the addition of the newspaper waste pulp as an adhesive material with variations of 8% and 12% by weight. Characterization is done by using the mass density test, proximate test and calorific value test. After going through pressure printing and drying process, the briquettes with 8% addition of newspaper waste pulp adhesives has the highest heat energy content, equal to 5,650 cal/g.

In the current world, the large consumption of fossil fuel leads to some global environmental problems, using biomass energy is one of the good solutions. However, due to the more strict emission policy, the sulphur releasing during biomass combustion cannot be ignored. In order to study the self-sulphur retention characteristics, the briquetting process of biomass is carried out. In this study, a batch of biomass briquettes combustion experiments are conducted to investigate self-sulphur retention characteristics. Five kinds of biomass powder, biomass briquettes, and briquettes with additive samples are used to carry out the combustion experiments, which are performed in a lab-scale tube furnace system. The influence of the briquetting process, reaction temperature, added coal and additives are studied comprehensively. The briquetting process gives remarkable enhancements on sulphur retention characteristics compare to the raw biomass powder, which is mainly due to the effect of the structural transformation. The enhancement are 35.00%, 76.68%, 36.15%, 27.34% and 31.36% compared to the original biomass samples. The reaction temperature behaves severely on the release of sulphur, that when the reaction temperature reaches 900 ∘ C , the sulphur release ratio starts to sharply increase. Adding coal into the biomass samples can increase the sulphur retention ability and the caloric value. The effects of different additives on sulphur retention ratios are also studied, exhibiting opposite trends as temperature increased. The organic Ca-based additives show better performance to enhance the self-sulphur retention ability. What's more, the potassium-based additives have a higher improvement than the calcium-based ones. The mechanism on sulphur retention of biomass briquettes with or without additives is also discussed. This study develops insightful understand on biomass self-sulphur retention ability, and its behaviours under the effect of the briquetting process, reaction temperature, added coal or additives, which could use as a guild for biomass briquetting combustion.

Effectively utilizing agro residues, when abundantly available, can help energy conservation efforts and increase farmers’ incomes. This article highlights the effective utilization of agro and industrial biomass residues in the form of briquettes. The various types of feedstock used and the technologies adopted in the briquetting process are discussed. Process parameters and feedstock variables influencing briquetting are described. Combustion studies undertaken using briquettes are comprehensively detailed. This literature review reveals that the combustion characteristics of briquettes not only depend on the type of the feedstock but also on the density, moisture content, binder percentage, and method used for briquetting. Higher ash content lowers the calorific value. The ash formed during combustion causes slagging and fouling which in turn lead to corrosion. It is concluded that biomass briquettes can meet the energy demands for cooking and heating needs, especially in rural areas where abundant biomass feedstock is available. It is recommended that research focuses more on investigating emissions along with the combustion of briquettes manufactured from different origins.

The technological innovation of electric briquette stove is one of the latest innovations in an effort to increase the use of environmentally friendly renewable energy. The electric briquette stove has two functions, namely the means for combustion systems with biomass briquettes only, or if biomass briquettes are not available it can function as an electric stove only. This technological innovation has the main goal of improving the function of the stove, especially from the fuel side. It is expected that with the electric briquette stove the community will be more interested in using stoves with environmentally friendly fuel in this case biomass briquettes and have alternative fuels other than LPG gas at a more economical price. The importance of this technology is disseminated to the people of Tangkil Village, Citeureup, Bogor because the attractiveness of the people to use briquettes is still low, so the dependence on LPG gas is still quite high.

The screw extruder briquetting die is critical to determining the quality of biomass briquettes. In this study, mathematical models were developed to study pressure distribution along the briquetting die using the hot extrusion scheme and assuming a plug flow. Parametric analysis to determine the effects of design variables on die pressure distribution was carried out by simulation using developed mathematical models. Results showed that pressure along the die entry decreases rapidly with high yield strength of compacted biomass and with increased friction coefficient at the briquetting die interface. As friction coefficient at the die interface increases, there is rapid decrease in pressure along the length of the die. Parameters resulting in rapid pressure decrease along the briquetting die length would result in increased die pressure at the end of the screw extruder. The developed mathematical models and the results obtained could significantly contribute to design of briquetting dies.

This work studies the effect of adding beet pulp on the properties of coal briquettes in the presence of tar. The effects of moisture, composition of briquettes, and briquetting pressure were studied on their water resistance index and compressive strength. The amounts of ash and sulfur content were reduced by pre-treatment of coal and adding biomass. Briquettes containing beet pulp had lower calorific value than free biomass briquettes, but it was in an acceptable range. The highest compressive strength and water resistance were achieved in the samples containing a beet pulp to tar content ratio of 25/5 to 20/10 and 8% water prepared at 15 tons briquetting pressure. Briquettes containing beet pulp have higher compressive strength than briquettes containing sawdust.

Recent innovations in the briquetting of carbonized biomass have the potential to improve the efficacy of papyrus as a fuel source. Selective harvesting of only mature stems may prove more sustainable than experimental clear-cutting approaches to regeneration pursued in earlier studies, whilst still providing up to 90 % of available biomass. Briquettes produced from papyrus compare favourably with alternative local fuels, both in physical properties and from the perspectives of potential end-users. Papyrus wetlands at Lake Naivasha, Kenya, may have the potential to provide 1.5 × 109 cuboid briquettes (volume c. 90 cm3; weight c. 25 g) from a biannual harvest, satisfying the domestic fuel requirements of > 85 % of the District’s population whilst simultaneously reducing pressure on forests exploited for the production of wood charcoal.

High global energy demand scenario has driven towards transformation from sole dependence on fossil fuels to utilization of inexhaustible renewable energy sources such as hydro, biomass, solar and wind. Renewable energy sources are abundant in Malaysia, especially palm biomass residues that are produced during the oil extraction process of fresh fruit bunch. Therefore, it is inevitable to harness these bioenergy sources, in order to prevent waste accumulation at adjacent to palm mills. Briquetting of palm biomass such as empty fruit bunch (EFB) with polyethylene (PE) plastics waste addition is expected not only could maximize the utilization of energy resources, but also could become as a potential solution for residue and municipal plastics waste disposal. In the present study, the physical and combustion properties of palm biomass briquettes that contain novel mixture of pulverized EFB and PE plastics waste were investigated experimentally. The briquettes were produced with different mixing ratio of EFB and PE plastics (weight ratios of 95:5, 90:10 and 85:15), under various heating temperatures (130-190 ) and at constant compaction pressure of 7 MPa. Based on the results, it can be said that heating temperature plays a significant role in affecting physical properties such as relaxed density and compressive strength. The values of relaxed density and compressive strength are within the range of 1100 to 1300 kg/m3 and 0.8 to 1.2 MPa, respectively. Meanwhile, mixing ratio does affect relaxed density and gross calorific value. All values of gross calorific (17900 to 21000 kJ/kg) and moisture content (7% to 9%) are found to fulfill the requirement for commercialization as stated by DIN51731 (gross calorific value>17500 kJ/kg and moisture content

The climate change has driven towards transformation from the high energy dependence on fossil fuel to inexhaustible renewable energy such as solar, wind, mini hydro and biomass. In Malaysia, abundant of palm biomass residues are produced during the processing of fresh fruit bunch. Therefore it is inevitable to harness these bioenergy sources in order to prevent waste accumulation at adjacent to palm mills. In order to utilize such bioenergy sources and to cope with the fast growing demand of energy, combination technique of densification and torrefaction is one of the potential ways to be practised. In the present study, the physical and combustion properties of torrefied empty fruit bunch (EFB) briquettes were investigated experimentally with constant nitrogen flow rate of 1 l/min , for various torrefaction temperatures (225-300). Before torrefaction process, EFB briquettes were initially produced under controlled condition with compaction pressure of 7 MPa and briquetting temperature of 150. In general, the torrefied EFB briquettes were successfully produced in the present study. The results show that an increase in torrefaction temperature from 225 to 300 causes a significant increase in gross calorific value (from around 17400 kJ/kg to 25000 kJ/kg), fixed carbon content (from 16.2% to 46.2%) and ash content (from 2.4% to 17.2%). On the other hand, relaxed density and volatile matter decrease, from 1017 kg/m3 to 590 kg/m3 and from 73.1% to 29.7%, respectively. As a conclusion, the gross calorific value and fixed carbon content are improved due to torrefaction. In addition, it was found that gross calorific value and moisture content of the torrefied EFB briquettes fulfil the requirement for commercial briquette production as stated by DIN51731 (gross calorific value>17500 kJ/kg and moisture content

Due to the tremendous amount of palm biomass residues produced during the palm oil extraction from fresh fruit bunch (FFB), it is inevitable to harness these biomass energy sources to cope with the depletion of fossil fuels and increase in global energy demand scenarios. Densification is one of the favourable techniques to improve the storage and transportation of biomass fuels in order to prevent dumped areas adjacent to palm mills and to prevent from becoming another waste product. This article reviews comprehensively on how type of palm biomass, compaction pressure and temperature, binder, pre- and post-treatments affect the physical and combustion properties of the palm biomass briquettes produced. Based on the previous researches, generally it can be said that the type of palm biomass, the compaction pressure and temperature, and type of binder affect both the physical and combustion performance of densified palm biomass. However, the effect of particle size could be observed only on the physical characteristics of densified products, whereas the effect on the combustion properties remains unclear. In addition, treatments such as pyrolysis, dry and wet torrefaction (hydrothermal treatment), and steam explosion have potential to be applied during briquette production in order to improve the combustion properties. In this review article, it is also suggested that the combination of densification and followed by wet torrefaction will enhance the combustion properties of palm biomass briquettes.

The possibility to vary the energy matrix, thus reducing the dependency on fossil fuels, has amplified the acceptance of biomass as an alternative fuel. Despite being a cheap and renewable option and the fact that Brazil is a major producer of waste from agriculture and forestry activities, the use of these materials has barriers due to its low density and low energetic efficiency, which can raise the costs of its utilization. Biomass densification has drawn attention due to its advantage in comparison to in natura biomass due to its better physical and combustion characteristics. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the impact of biomass densification in distribution and transport costs. To reach this objective, a mathematical model was used to represent decisions at a supply chain that coordinates the purchase and sale of forestry and wood waste. The model can evaluate the options to deliver biomass through the supply chain combining demand meeting and low cost. Results point to the possibility of an economy of 60% in transport cost and a reduction of 63% in the required quantity of trucks when densified waste is used. However, costs related to the densifying process lead to an increase of total supply costs of at least 37,8% in comparison to in natura waste. Summing up, the viability of biomass briquettes industry requires a cheaper densification process. RESUMO A possibilidade de diversificação da matriz energética, com redução da dependência dos combustíveis fósseis, tem ampliado a aceitação da biomassa como opção de energia alternativa. Apesar de ser uma fonte barata e renovável e o Brasil ser um grande produtor de resíduos de origem agrícola e florestal, o aproveitamento desses materiais encontra barreiras devido à baixa densidade e ao baixo rendimento energético, que podem elevar o custo para sua utilização. A densificação da biomassa tem chamado a atenção devido à superioridade sobre a biomassa in natura em relação às características físicas e de combustão. O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar o impacto da densificação da biomassa na distribuição e nos custos de transporte. Para alcançar esse objetivo foi utilizado um modelo matemático para representar as decisões em uma rede que intermedia a compra e a venda de resíduos madeireiros, tomada como estudo de caso. Os resultados indicam a possibilidade de economia de até 60% nos custos de transporte e redução de até 63% na quantidade de veículos ao se trabalhar com os resíduos densificados. No entanto, os custos com o material densificado elevaram os custos totais de abastecimento no mínimo em 3 7,8% em relação aos resíduos in natura.

This study presents combustion and emission results obtained using an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) phase two wood stove for 15 biomass briquettes produced from a range of feedstock including hay and switch grass. Fuel property, gas emissions, particulate emissions and stove efficiency are compared. In regard to fuel properties, proximate analysis, ultimate analysis and heating values are determined and emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are measured and compared. In this study, particulates are sampled, measured and compared using an isokinetic particulate analyser. The results suggest that hay and switch grass briquettes can successfully be combusted in domestic wood stoves with similar performance and emissions to that of other woody briquettes.

Experiments were performed to measure the emission factors (EFs) of gaseous carbonaceous species, such as CO2, CO, CH4, and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), from the combustion of five types of coal of varying organic maturity and two types of biomass briquettes under residential burning conditions. Samples were collected in stainless steel canisters and 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) cartridges and were analyzed by GC-FID/MS and HPLC, respectively. The EFs from crop residue briquette burning were generally higher than those from coals, with the exception of CO2. The dominant NMVOC species identified in coal smoke were carbonyls (41.7%), followed by C2 unsaturated hydrocarbons (29.1%) and aromatics (12.1%), while C2 unsaturated hydrocarbons were the dominant species (68.9%) emitted from the combustion of crop residue briquettes, followed by aromatics (14.4%). A comparison of burning normal crop residues in stoves and the open field indicated that briquettes emitted a larger proportion of ethene and acetylene. Both combustion efficiency and coal organic maturity had a significant impact on NMVOC EFs from burning coal: NMVOC emissions increased with increasing coal organic maturity but decreased as the combustion efficiency improved. Emissions from the combustion of crop residue briquettes from stoves occurred mainly during the smoldering process, with low combustion efficiency. Therefore, an improved stove design to allow higher combustion efficiency would be beneficial for reducing emissions of carbonaceous air pollutants.

The paper is about the summing-up of production and research of biomass briquettes (hereinafter referred to as BDMF) that mainly rely on crop stalks. Core technology and policy Issues from productive practice are mainly introduced. The paper exposes the characteristics of BDMF of China and foreign countries’, and the differences between them; at last, suggestions on development of Chinese BDMF in the future.

In the recent times, there has been a much concerned about the efficient utilization and conservation of energy across the globe. The fossil fuels supply most of the energy requirements, however, it is a non-renewable energy source having a limited reserve across the globe. In view of this, there has been a continuous drive to explore the renewable, easily available and environment friendly energy sources to partially or fully replace the fossil fuel. With this background, this paper investigates the viability of utilizing producer gas, derived from the biomass briquettes, as the primary fuel to run a diesel engine in dual fuel mode. Biomass used was sun-dried pine leaves and cow dung. Briquettes were prepared at the proportion of 75 % cow dung and 25 % pine leaves, by mass, using water as the binder. The producer gas, generated from a downdraft gasifier, was fed to single cylinder, four-stroke, water-cooled, 5.2 kW compression ignition engine to run on dual fuel mode. A minor modification of engine was carried out to suit the dual fuel mode operation. The performance and emission characteristics of the engine were studied at various loads. The system sustains well in a dual fuel mode although there is a drop in brake thermal efficiency in the range of 7 to 22%. There is a significant reduction, up to 93%, in NOX emission in the exhaust but CO and CO2 emission increases, more than 40% and 8% respectively, in the dual fuel mode.Copyright © 2015 by ASME

Via image-based macroscopic, analysis of a briquettes’ surface structure, particle size, and distribution was determined to better understand the behavioural pattern of input material during agglomeration in the pressing chamber of a briquetting machine. The briquettes, made of miscanthus, industrial hemp and pine sawdust were produced by a hydraulic piston press. Their structure was visualized by a stereomicroscope equipped with a digital camera and software for image analysis and data measurements. In total, 90 images of surface structure were obtained and quantitatively analysed. Using Nikon Instruments Software (NIS)-Elements software, the length and area of 900 particles were measured and statistically tested to compare the size of the particles at different surface locations. Results showed statistically significant differences in particles’ size distribution: larger particles were generally on the front side of briquettes and vice versa, smaller particles were on the rear side. As well, larger particles were centred in the middle of cross sections and the smaller particles were centred on the bottom of the briquette.

Biomass has received tremendous attention as it is one of the best alternatives to replace the use of fossil fuels for energy generation. However, there are problems associated with the utilization of raw biomass which could be resolved through densification process. Besides, mixing between residues could produce a quality briquette, at the same time making good use on the biomass residues. Rice husk, sugarcane bagasse and spent coffee ground were selected as the biomass feedstocks for briquettes formation. The mixing ratios of 100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 20:80, 40:60 and 0:100 were used for three different combinations. The briquettes were then compacted at 300 bars and 150°C for 30 s. The mechanical properties of the briquettes were measured with respects to their shatter resistance, abrasive resistance as well as water resistance. The mechanical properties of the briquettes could be effectively improved by mixing between the residues as compared to the pure materials. The result showed that briquettes formed with 40: 60 of RH to SB; 20: 80 of RH to SCG and 20: 80 of SB to SCG were among the optimum mixing ratio for the respective combination fulfilling the specifications of the mechanical strength and durability.

Having 2.8 x 10(8)-3.0 x 10(8) t/a of wood energy, 4.0 x 10(6) t/a of oil seeds, 7.7 x 10(8) t/a of crops straw, 3.97 x 10(9) t/a of poultry and livestock manure, 1.48 x 10(8) t/a ofmunicipal waste, and 4.37 x 10(10) t/a of organic wastewater, China is in possession of good resource condition for the development of bioenergy industries. Until the end of 2007, China has popularized 2.65 x 10(7) rural household biogas, established 8318 large and middle-scale biogas projects, and produced 1.08 x 10(10) m(3)/a of biogas; the production of bioethanol, biodiesel, biomass briquettes fuel and biomass power generation reached to 1.5 x 10(6) t/a, 3.0 x 10(5) t/a, 6.0 x 10(4) t/a and 6.42 x 10(9) kWh, respectively. In recent years, bioenergy industries developed increasingly fast in China. However, the industrial base was weak with some dilemma existing in raw material supply, technological capability, industry standards, policy and regulation, and follow-up services, etc. From the viewpoint of long-term effective development system for bioenergy industries in China, a series of policy suggestions have been offered, such as strengthening strategy research, improving bioenergy industries development policies and plan, enhancing scientific research input, persisting in technology innovation, establishing product quality standard, improving industrial standard system, opening market and accelerating commercialization, etc. It is expected that the advices mentioned above could be helpful for the improvement of bioenergy industries development. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Corn stover and switchgrass, potential biomass feedstocks for bioenergy and bioproducts industries, are often harvested during a limited harvest season and stored as bales with bulk densities of about 100 to 200 kg m-3. Because of low bulk density, corn stover and switchgrass are difficult to handle, transport, store, and use in their natural forms. One of the solutions to reduce these problems and the associated costs is to densify these biomass feedstocks into pellets or briquettes. In this study, roll press briquetting characteristics of corn stover and switchgrass were studied using a pilot-scale roll press briquetting machine. Almond-shaped briquettes 28.7 to 31.3 mm in length were made. Results showed that high-durability corn stover and switchgrass briquettes with bulk densities of 480 to 530 kg m-3 could be produced. This corresponds to about a three- to five-fold increase in bulk densities compared to those of bales. Briquettes produced with the roll press briquetting machine had bulk densities (351 to 527 kg m-3), durabilities (39% to 90%), and crushing strengths (28 to 277 N) that were somewhat less than, but in a range comparable to, the pellets (9.6 to 9.8 mm diameter) produced with a conventional ring-die pelleting machine. The bulk density, durability, and hardness of the pellets ranged from 528 to 610 kg m-3, 75% to 95%, and 148 to 224 N, respectively. Micro-structural studies (chemical composition analyses, scanning electron microscopy imaging, and UV auto-fluorescence imaging) on grinds, briquettes, and pellets confirmed that highly dense, strong, and durable briquettes and pellets from corn stover and switchgrass could be produced without adding chemical binders (i.e., additives) by activating (softening) the natural binders such as water-soluble carbohydrates, lignin, protein, starch, and fat in the biomass materials by providing moisture and temperature in the range of glass transition of the biomass materials. No steam conditioning was necessary to produce good-quality corn stover briquettes. For switchgrass, a grind temperature of about 75°C obtained by steam conditioning was necessary to produce good-quality briquettes. Roll press briquetting appears to be a promising low-cost, low-energy, high-capacity densification approach for commercial production of biomass briquettes.

Palm oil industry generates vast amount of palm biomass. Converting palm biomass into a uniform and solid fuel through briquetting process appears to be an attractive solution in upgrading its properties and add value. In this study, raw materials including empty fruit bunch (EFB), in powder and fibre forms, palm kernel expeller (PKE) and sawdust were densified into briquettes at high temperature and pressure using screw extrusion technology. The briquettes were analysed to determine its physical and chemical properties, mechanical strength and burning characteristics. It was found that briquettes made either from 100% pulverized EFB or mixed with sawdust exhibited good burning properties. EFB fibre and PKE, due to their physical properties, were recommended to be blended with sawdust in producing quality briquettes. In overall, converting palm biomass into briquettes has increased its energy content and reduced moisture content about minimum of 5% and 38% respectively compared to its raw materials. The properties of palm biomass briquettes obtained from the study were compared to the commercial sawdust briquettes properties and to the minimum requirements of DIN 51731. The details of the study were highlighted in this paper. Palm biomass briquettes can become an important renewable energy fuel source in the future.

A 125 kg h −1 biomass gasifier of modular design was developed at the Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute (SPRERI) and tested on the thermal mode to test the concept. Based on these studies, a scaled-up 375 kg h −1 modular throat type, down-draft gasifier system was designed, developed and tested. The performance of the two systems is discussed in this paper. The smaller gasifier when tested at a wood consumption rate of 55 kg h −1 gave a gas calorific value of 4.24 MJ N m −3 and cold gas gasification efficiency of 63%. The larger gasifier system was operated for about 50 h using agro-residues briquettes at gas flow rates of 213 and 278 N m 3 h −1 . The cold gas efficiency was in the range of 70–73%. The gasifier was also operated at a gas flow rate of 460 N m 3 h −1 using wood as feedstock at a cold gas efficiency of 71%. The gasifier system was also tested continuously for 10 h without any problem and it produced good quality of gas consistently.

An animal traction piston press was studied for applications in developing countries, aimed at producing biomass briquettes as alternative household fuel. Experiments were carried out with different biomasses for determining the minimum compaction pressure and the relationship between applied pressure and volume reduction. Two cams were designed for moving the machine mechanisms: their shape was determined with the aim of minimising the applied draft force, considering the experimentally determined biomass behaviour. The machine was prototyped and tested in Senegal, giving satisfactory results.