Investigating the potential of carbonized bagasse briquettes as an alternative biomass fuel

Abstract

Despite huge amount of agricultural waste generated in Uganda, most people continue to use charcoal and wood fuel, which leads to deforestation. In particular sugar factories produces large volumes of bagasse beyond requirements for cogeneration which is not directly Suitable for use as a household cooking fuel. The limitations are mostly attributed to low bulk densities of bagasse. This excess bagasse congest -sugar factories and poses numerous. risks including fire out breaks. This research has identified utilization potential of bagasse through briquetting. In this research, bagasse was carbonized and briquetted into alternative fuel to supplement. conventional charcoal and firewood. The objectives were to develop briquettes from bagasse, loam soil and molasses, to evaluate the moisture. content, volatile -matter Content, ash content and Calorific Value of the briquettes, to determine the water resistance and fuel shatter resistance of briquettes and carry out an economic evaluation, The taw bagasse was. obtained from GM sugar ltd and dried to 5.13% -moisture content. Molasses and 'loam soil were used as binders to develop three formulations of briquettes. The results- of proximate analysis revealed the main constituents of the briquettes. The percentage of volatile matter and calorific values varied directly with the percentage composition of molasses of the briquette. A briquette blend with 20% SCB. 40% loam soil and 40% water had the least moisture content and the fastest drying rate of the three blend of briquettes. However, the major drawback was the low calorific value of 2.13 Kca]/g and absorbed the highest amount. of water during a water resistance te.sl., All blends were comparable to most cooking fuels in developing countries and. performed well -with respect specifications- and recommendations by US 765 and FAO.. Blend I briquettes had the highest calorific value and the result of economic analysis shown a 16.5 cost-benefit ratio for briquette. -project. However, future research should increase the range of properties and -number of samples tested to establish the effect of loam soil quality on the final ash content of briquettes.