ABSTRACT
This work studied the effect of groundnut shell and maize cob on coal
briquette. The ratio of coal: biomass prepared were 90:10, 85:15, 80:20, 75:25,
70:30, 100:0. The mixture was treated with Ca(OH) which serves as a
desulphurizing agent, before briquetting. The chemical analysis carried out on
the raw materials (i.e. groundnut shell, maize cob and coal) indicated the
presence of Ca, Mg, Al, Na, Fe, Cu, K, Zn, Mn, Pb, Ni, Cr, As, S. The proximate
analysis of the raw materials was also carried out. Burning and viability tests
carried out revealed that maize cob-coal briquettes ignite and burn faster,
smoke less, produce flame and small quantity of ash after burning, than the
other briquettes. Hardness compressive strength and density test of the
briquettes produced showed that coal briquette has better hardness, compressive
strength, and density results than the other briquettes. Also, the bio-coal
briquette with the highest percentage of biomass (i.e. 30%) gave the best
viability, burning, porosity, porosity index, ash content, calorific value
results than the other briquettes. However, maize cob-coal briquettes gave the
best results compared to the groundnut shell-coal briquettes and the coal
briquette which was used as the standard.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION:
Energy is the ability to
do work. Sources of energy include electricity, petroleum, nuclear power, solar
energy, tar sand, burning of coal, wood and biomass, etc. Nigeria is blessed
with abundant energy resources: oil, gas, coal, wood, biomass, solar, wind,
nuclear and hydropower.
Energy availability in
Nigeria and its supply has been a source of constant friction between the
people and the government. This however, should not be so because, among the
abundant energy resources available in Nigeria, only oil and gas sector have so
far been well developed. The industrial and domestic sectors of the Nigerian
economy continue to suffer from perennial shortage of energy. This shortage has
led to accurate energy crisis at the household level. The bulk of the energy
used for cooking at the household level in Nigeria is mainly derived from wood
fuel and fossil fuel (kerosene).
The fossil fuels are
produced and delivered at a cost most Nigerians cannot afford. As a result, a
greater percentage of the ever-growing population of the country have resorted
to depend on the country’s forest waste as a source of fuel for agricultural,
domestic and small-scale industrial activities in semi urban and rural areas.
The use of wood fuel encourages cutting down/felling of trees (deforestation).
This leads to desertification in the Northern part of Nigeria; and flooding,
soil erosion and loss of top soil fertility in the Southern part of Nigeria. In
some cases, it can lead to extinction of wild life.
Energy is the key factor
in economic development in most countries today. In Nigeria, there is
overdependence on oil and gas for energy for industrial and domestic purposes,
since it is the only source of energy that is well
developed. Hence, there is need to develop the other sources of energy so that
energy supply will be enough and affordable for industrial and domestic
purposes, and our oil and gas be conserved (and used for transportation). Most
advanced countries today are adapting the concept of preserving and also
retaining their natural resources. As the world adjusts itself to the new
millennium and its technology, the demand for fuel and energy increases,
therefore, it should be conserved.
Of all the available
energy resources in Nigeria, coal and coal derivatives such as smokeless coal
briquettes, bio-coal briquettes, and biomass briquettes have been shown to have
the highest potential for use as suitable alternative to coal/wood fuel in
industrial boiler and brick kiln for thermal application and domestic purposes,
therefore, it will serve as the most direct and effective method of combating
deforestation in the country. Coal and biomass are available, and cheap.
There is a worldwide
acceptance of briquettes and growing demand for the briquetting plants. In June
2009, a workshop on “Investment Potentials of the Nigerian Coal Industry” was
organized by the Nigerian Coal Coporation. It was clear from the workshop that
substantial progress has been made in briquetting technology and practice in
recent years.
In countries like Japan,
China and India, it was observed that agricultural waste (agro residues) can
also be briquetted and used as substitute for wood fuel. Every year, millions
of tons of agricultural waste are generated. These are either not used or burnt
inefficiently in their loose form causing air pollution to the environment. The
major residues are rice husk, corn cob, coconut shell, jute stick, groundnut
shell, cotton stalk, etc. These wastes provide energy by converting into
high-density fuel briquettes. These briquettes are very cheap, even cheaper
than coal briquettes. Adoption of
briquette technology will not only create a safe and hygienic way of disposing
the waste, but turn into a cash rich venture by converting waste into energy
and also contributing towards a better environment.
Coal can be blended with
a small quantity of these agricultural waste (agro residues) to produce
briquettes (bio-coal briquettes) which ignites fast, burn efficiently,
producing little or no smoke and are cheaper than coal briquettes.
Briquetting technology
is yet to get a strong foothold in developing countries including Nigeria,
because of the technical constrains involved and lack of knowledge to adopt the
technology to suit local conditions. Overcoming the many operational problems
associated with this technology and ensuring the quantity of the raw material
used are crucial factors in determining its commercial success. In addition to
this commercial aspect, this technology encourages conservation of wood. Hence,
briquette production technology can prevent flooding and serve as a global
warming countermeasure through the conservation of forest resources....
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Item Type: Project Material | Size: 119 pages | Chapters: 1-3
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