3 research outputs found
Application of the Simplex-Centroid Mixture Design to Biomass Charcoal Powder Formulation Ratio for Biomass Charcoal Briquettes
No full textThis study aims to increase the quality and value of raw materials with a low higher heating value, HHV (secondary ingredients), but which is abundantly available throughout the year by mixing it with high HHV materials (main ingredients) to obtain quality and standardized charcoal products in accordance with the industrial product standards as approved for commercial use. As for the ingredients, charcoal A is Eucalyptus bark coal (EuBC) with an average HHV of 3779.98 cal/g, charcoal B is rice husk coal (RHC) with an average HHV of 4863.29 cal/g, and charcoal C is charcoal from a biomass power plant (CBPP) with an average HHV of 5991.18 cal/g. The results from the simplex-centroid mixture design method allowed increased quality and value of the biomass charcoal powder (raw material) that has a low heating value but is sufficiently available throughout the year due to the mixing of secondary ingredients with raw materials that have a high heating value (main ingredient). The charcoal briquettes production must be qualified and meet the industrial product standards, and be approved for commercial use
Optimizing Shearing Characteristics of Sugarcane Leaves for Efficient Biomass Utilization and Machinery Design in the Sugar Industry
No full textSugarcane leaves, which are significant biomass residues from the globally important industrial crop, have potential as fuel sources for electricity generation. This study aimed to investigate the influence of moisture content, leaf region, and loading rate on shear strength and specific shearing energy of sugarcane leaves, focusing on the Khon Kaen 3 (KK3) cultivar. Experimental factors included four levels of moisture content (48.17%, 30.22%, 23.10%, and 8.90% w.b.), three leaf regions (lower, middle, and upper), and four loading rates (150, 250, 350, and 450 mm/min). Results showed significant impacts of moisture content, leaf region, and loading rate on shear strength and specific shearing energy (P < 0.01). The lower leaf region exhibited the highest shear strength (1.380 N/mm²) and specific shearing energy (12.184 mJ/mm²) at a moisture content of 48.17% w.b. and a loading rate of 150 mm/min. Conversely, the upper leaf region showed the lowest shear strength (0.372 N/mm²) and specific shearing energy (2.651 mJ/mm²) at a moisture content of 8.90% w.b. and a loading rate of 450 mm/min. To enhance cutting efficiency and minimize energy consumption during cutting leaves, it is recommended to sun-dry the leaves for 20-30 days before cutting to achieve a moisture content below 20% w.b. These findings could optimize cutting processes, machinery design, and agricultural practices in sugarcane harvesting and biomass utilization. This study is expected to contribute to understanding plant mechanical properties and provide insights for cutting devices and biomass processing systems. Further research should explore additional factors to advance efficiency and sustainability in the sugar industry and biomass utilization
Effects of moisture content and blade cutting speed on the chopping and size distribution of sugarcane leaves for the production of fuel biomass
No full textThe objective of this study was to determine the effects of moisture content and blade cutting speed on the chopping and size distribution of sugarcane leaves. The experiments were conducted using 4 different moisture content percentages of 19.74, 30.97, 44.52 and 50.12 % w.b. and at the blade cutting speeds of 380, 630 and 880 rpm. The results revealed that moisture content and blade cutting speed significantly affected working capacity, weight and geometric mean particle length of the sugarcane leaves, and the results were statistically significant with confidence levels of 95%. The interaction of the two factors had a significant effect on the working capacity but did not affect the percent weight and geometric mean particle length of the sugarcane leaves. Working capacity, percent weight and geometric mean particle length all decreased when the cutting speed was increased and the moisture content decreased. This resulted in an increase in the distribution of “small size” leaves. At the blade cutting speed of 880 rpm and moisture content of 19.74 % w.b., the percent weight was 98.54% and geometric mean particle length was 9.18 mm. Size distribution of leaves {(<10) (10-20) (20-30)} mm in length had a total size distribution of 86.67%. The distribution of particles less than 10 mm in length was the highest at 48.57%, followed by the distribution of particles 10-20 mm and 20-30 mm in length, recorded at 24.52 and 13.57 %, respectivel
