University of the Punjab Conference Portal, Third International Conference on Engineering Sciences

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Up-gradation of agricultural waste bagasse as a solid fuel by means of torrefaction process
Muhammad Shehzad, Naveed Ramzan, Umair Aslam

Last modified: 2017-10-10

Abstract


According to the fuel point of view, torrefied bagasse with improved fuel properties and changed in structure can be a productive solid fuel source for the industrial furnaces application like boilers and blast furnaces. An agricultural waste Bagasse undergoing torrefaction was investigated to evaluate the potential of bagasse as a solid fuel. Two different torrefaction temperatures (250 & 275oC ) with residence time of ( 30,60 & 90 min ) were considered in this research, the properties and structure of Raw and torrefied bagasse were investigated by using calorific, proximate, elemental, water absorption, thermogravimetric (TGA), and FTIR analysis. Also, torrefied bagasse fuel properties were compared with indigenous coal. The result showed that torrefied bagasse had higher C-H ratio of about 13.25 as compared to the raw bagasse which had 7.38. The maximum rise in calorific value about 23.84 MJ/kg was also measured, which is relatively 32.7% more as compare to raw bagasse with a calorific value of 17.96 MJ/kg. The torrefaction has been seen to influence more notable change in structure as depicted by FTIR spectra, the stretching of H-bounded hydroxyl group intensity has shown the most notable decrease as the temperature and duration increases, which consequences that torrefied bagasse becomes hydrophobic in nature. Raw bagasse empirical atomic formula is expressed by CH1.61O0.78 and after torrefaction it changes to CH0.89O0.49. Also, from the measured data of torrefied bagasse it can be seen that the torrefied bagasse become a better solid fuel and approaches to indigenous coal when increases the torrefaction temperature and residence time. Thermal degradation behavior of raw and torrefied bagasse has also been reported in this study.