Determination of the Experimental Calorific Performance of Passion Fruit Spreading Waste

Abstract

Brazil is the world's largest producer and consumer of passion fruit, being a tropical fruit that produces a lot of waste in its process. As this residue is more than 60% of the mass of the fruit, there is a problem directed to the discard of the same. One way to add economic and financial value to the passion fruit industry would be to use the waste as a source of fuel in a process of converting biomass to energy. The objective of this work was to characterize samples of passion fruit residues by analyzing the moisture content and the experimental calorific value, aiming at its energy utilization, in order to obtain initial information to help define the best conversion path of this biomass: thermochemical or biochemical. After analysis, it was concluded that the most appropriate biomass utilization route would be anaerobic biodigestion due to the high moisture content presented in the samples (greater than 80%). However, the same ones, if in dry basis, also have high calorific value, compared, for example, with sugarcane bagasse. With the results, it was demonstrated that the biomass of the passion fruit pulp presents itself as a potential alternative for the energy utilization.