Assessing the energy content of briquettes made from various sun dried and carbonized organic wastes

Abstract

This study was carried out with the main purpose of assessing the calorific values or energy contents of briquettes made from various carbonized and sun-dried raw materials. Briquettes are useful renewable, cost-effective energy source, less emission of gases which are looked at to replace non-renewable energies such as charcoal, fossil fuels. The energy content of biomass is determined by its calorific value. The raw material used in this research to make the briquettes were bagasse from sugar factory, charcoal dust (char), and banana peelings, which were obtained from agricultural plantations and carpentry workshops in Kireka, the study area. The raw materials were bound into briquettes by using cassava flour as a binder. The energy contents of the briquettes were experimentally determined using an oxygen bomb calorimeter.