Emissions analysis from combustion of eco-fuel briquettes for domestic applications

Abstract

In this study, flue gas emissions from combustion of eco-fuel briquettes in a ceramic lined stove were investigated. The eco-fuel briquettes were made of biomass such as spent coffee beans, mielie husks, saw dust, paper pulp and coal fines using a hand operated screw press. A combustion set-up consisting of digital weightometer, a ceramic lined stove and a complete chimney system was used. The emissions from the combustion process were measured using a Testo 350 gas analyser linked to the chimney system. The eco-fuel briquettes made from a mixture of biomass and coal fines burnt within the acceptable exposure limits as set out by the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA). The flue gas emissions from the combustion of eco-fuel briquettes were found to contain 74 parts per million (ppm) carbon monoxide (CO), 4.32 ppm hydrogen sulphide (H2S), 1.34ppm nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 3.67 ppm sulphur oxides (SOx). The measured gross calorific value was 18.9MJ/kg, with a burning rate of 2g/min. These properties make eco-fuel briquettes suitable for domestic applications. A survey conducted as part of this study also revealed a significant demand for eco-fuel briquettes in many informal settlements in Gauteng Province, South Africa, at a competitive selling price of R2.60/kg.

Energy Utilization of Spent Coffee Grounds in the Form of Pellets

“…Kang et al combusted dried spent coffee ground and the results also confirmed the presence of the highest concentration of CO among the measured emissions [3]. Pilusa et al reported that carbon monoxide from the combustion of already mentioned eco-fuel briquettes dominated in the flue gas [12]. Besides, CO is the most abundant gas in the flue gas and it is necessary to cut this emission.…”

“…The high calorific value of spent coffee grounds (SCG) has the potential for producing refuse-derived fuel (RDF), however the burning of pure SCG pellets can lead to low boiler efficiency resulting in increased particle emissions, thus additional material is required to produce good quality pellets [9]. Therefore, the research studies highlight the utilization of waste paper and coffee residue for briquette production [8], production of the carbonized briquettes from Rain tree (Samanea Saman) and SCG/tea waste [10], analysis of the effect of mixing SCG and coffee silverskin (CS) on the quality of pellet fuel produced [11] and production of the eco-fuel briquettes with 32% spent coffee ground, 23% coal fines, 11% sawdust to benefit lower toxic emissions compared to fossil fuel [12].…”

Prediction of diesel engine performance, emissions and cylinder pressure obtained using bioethanol-biodiesel-diesel fuel blends through an artificial neural network

“…The high temperatures reached during the combustion in the cylinder combines the oxygen with the nitrogen in the air to form NOx (SAE 2001). Humidity has a large in�uence on NOx emissions (Pilusa et al 2013). Therefore, in this study, humidity in the air was continuously measured.…”

Effect of Pith/Fiber Separation, Binders and Hybridization on Energy Density and Physical Properties of Bagasse Briquettes

“…The use of solar radiation is time consuming since briquettes of this nature took long time to dry. Adequate drying technique for briquettes can be imperative for supply chain and demand to the market as sugarcane biomass briquettes have high gross calorific value as compared to wood charcoal which have gross calorific value ranges between 6.27 M/kg to 16 MJ/kg as reported in the literature 13,14 . However, gross calorific values depend on the type of wood species, geographic location, climate, soil, and efficiency of pyrolysis process.…”