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Within developing countries, there is an appeal to use waste biomass for energy generation in the form of bio-briquettes. This study investigated the potential use of bio-briquettes that are produced from the waste biomass of the following tropical fruits: durian (Durio zibethinus), coconut (Cocos nucifera), coffee (Coffea arabica), cacao (Theobroma cacao), banana (Musa acuminata) and rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum). All fruit waste biomass samples exhibited an extremely high level of initial moisture content (78.22% in average). Fruit samples with the highest proportion of fruit waste biomass (of total unprocessed fruit mass) were represented by cacao (83.82%), durian (62.56%) and coconut (56.83%). Highest energy potentials (calorific value) of fruit waste biomass were observed in case of coconut (18.22 MJ·kg −1 ), banana (17.79 MJ·kg −1 ) and durian (17.60 MJ·kg −1 ) fruit samples, whereas fruit waste biomass with the lowest level of ash content originated from the rambutan (3.67%), coconut (4.52%), and durian (5.05%) fruit samples. When investigating the energy demands to produce bio-briquettes from such feedstock materials, the best results (lowest amount of required deformation energy in combination with highest level of bio-briquette bulk density) were achieved by the rambutan, durian and banana fruit waste biomass samples. Finally, all investigated bio-briquette samples presented satisfactory levels of bulk density (>1050 kg·m −3 ). In conclusion, our results indicated the practicability and viability of such bio-briquette fuel production, as well as supporting the fact that bio-briquettes from tropical fruit waste biomass can offer a potentially attractive energy source with many benefits, especially in rural areas.

The present study investigates the quality changes of wood bio-briquette fuel after the addition of spent coffee ground (SCG) into the initial feedstock materials (sawdust, shavings) in different mass ratios (1:1, 1:3). Analysis of SCGs fuel parameter proved great potential for energy generation by a process of direct combustion. Namely, level of calorific value (GCV = 21.58 MJ·kg −1 ), of ash content (Ac = 1.49%) and elementary composition (C = 55.49%, H = 7.07%, N = 2.38%, O = 33.41%) supports such statement. A comparison with results of initial feedstock materials exhibited better results of SCG in case of its calorific value and elementary composition. Bulk density ρ (kg·m −3 ) and mechanical durability DU (%) of bio-briquette samples from initial feedstock materials were following for sawdust: ρ = 1026.39 kg·m −3 , DU = 98.44% and shavings: ρ = 1036.53 kg·m −3 , DU = 96.70%. The level of such mechanical quality indicators changed after the addition of SCG. Specifically, SCG+sawdust mixtures achieved ρ = 1077.49 kg·m −3 and DU = 90.09%, while SCG + shavings mixtures achieved ρ = 899.44 kg·m −3 and DU = 46.50%. The addition of SCG increased wood bio-briquettes energy potential but decreased its mechanical quality. Consequently, the addition of SCG in wood bio-briquette has advantages, but its mass ratio plays an important key role.Energies 2020, 13, 54 2 of 15 economics, politics, and the trade of many developing countries. The coffee production industry, i.e., plant cultivation, cherries harvest, bean processing, product packaging, sale marketing, and final product transportation, offers job opportunities for millions of people [5].Brazil belongs to the top countries in coffee production, as well as Vietnam, Indonesia, and Colombia. Together those countries generate more than 50% of the world's coffee production. Specific statistical data provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and by the International Coffee Organization (ICO) related to the coffee industry in the last years are expressed in Table 1.

The deformation curve characteristics of rapeseeds and sunflower seeds compressed using the equipment ZDM 50-2313/56/18 and varying vessel diameters (40, 60, 80, and 100 mm) were investigated. Maximum compressive force of 100 kN was applied on bulk oilseeds of rape and sunflower of measured height 20-80 mm and deformed at a speed of 60 mm∙min-1. The compression test using the vessel diameters of 40 and 60 mm showed a serration effect while the vessel diameters of 80 and 100 mm indicated an increasing function effect on the force-deformation characteristic curves. Clearly, the increasing function effect described the region with oil flow and that of serration effect described the region without any oil flow. However, it was observed that the serration effect could be due to the higher compressive stress inside the smaller vessel diameters (40 and 60 mm) compared to those with bigger vessel diameters (80 and 100 mm). Parameters such as deformation, deformation energy, and energy density were determined from the force-deformation curves dependency showing both increasing function and serration effect. The findings of the study provide useful information for the determination of specific compressive force and energy requirements for extracting maximum oil from oilseed crops such as rape and sunflower.