Abstract: The study was undertaken to assess the combustion characteristics of briquettes produced from mixed Banana Peelings and Saw-dust as binder. Combustion characteristics investigated were volatile matter, ash content, dry matter base, moisture content, ignition time, burning rate, and water boiling time. The combustion characteristics of banana peelings fuel briquettes was compared with waste paper fuel briquettes due to its only presence on Malawian market though available in small scale. The combustion characteristic of the briquettes produced from these densification (briquetting) variables competed favourably with firewood which is a main cooking energy means in Malawi and account for 96 % in the rural areas and 42% in the urban (Census Main Report, 2008 pp 18). Furthermore, for banana peelings with saw dust and waste paper with saw dust, the volatile matter of was 90±0.5% and 88.3±2.6% respectively and there was no significance difference (P-Value=0.426). The ash content both parameters were 10.1±0.4% and 10.3 ±2.8% respectively and there was no significance difference (P-Value=0.170). Also the dry matter base for both parameters were 90±0.3% and 86.3±6.1% respectively and there was no significance difference (P-Value=0.609). In addition the moisture content for both parameters were 10±0.3% and 13.2±6.1% respectively and there was no significance difference (P-Value=0.609). The ignition time for both parameters were 57.1±0.4 seconds and 39.7±0.4 seconds respectively and there was a significance difference (P-Value=0.000). It was observed that the burning rate for both parameters was 2.5±0.5grams/minute and 2.4±0.6gram per minute respectively and there was no significance difference (P-Value=0.084). Lastly the ash water boiling time for 100cm3 both parameters were 12.6±0.4 minutes and 16.6±0.51 minutes respectively and there was a significance difference (P-Value=0.000 ). The results confirm the possibility of utilizing banana peelings as fuel briquette of good source that support combustion. Thus banana peelings briquettes possess the high material strength as well as high value combustible fuel; hence they can be a compliment energy source to the firewood in Malawi.
Keywords: Ash Content (AC), Boiling Test (BT), Burning rate (BR), Calorific Value (CV), Dry Matter (DM), Fuel Briquette, Ignition time (IT) and Moisture Content (MC).
Title: A Study of Combustion Characteristics of Fuel Briquettes from a Blend of Banana Peelings and Saw Dust in Malawi
Author: F.G.D. Thulu, O. Kachaje, T. Mlowa
International Journal of Thesis Projects and Dissertations (IJTPD)
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