Comparative Performance and Analysis of Fuel Briquette produced from Water Hyacinth Plant with Paraffin oil
| Main Author: | Modestus.O. Okwu |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article Journal |
| Terbitan: |
, 2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
https://zenodo.org/record/1204296 |
Daftar Isi:
- Water hyacinth plant popularly known as seaweed is an aquatic and problematic plant usually found floating freely on the surface of water. Research has shown that these seaweeds can be transformed into products that will provide alternative energy to the people rather than constituting environmental problems. In this study, solid briquettes were produced by blending water hyacinth plant with clay soil and waste cooking oil as binder. The goal of this study was to produce solid fuel briquettes and compare the specific fuel consumption and cooking time of the briquette produced with conventional fuel, paraffin oil. The study further looked at the quality improvement of hyacinth briquettes with blend of soil clay. This research produced solid fuel briquettes from hyacinth plant and clay blend in the ratio: 100:0, 97.5:2.5, 95:5, 92.5:7.5, 90:10, 87.5:12.5, 85:15, 82.5:17.5, 80:20, 79.5:20.5 and 75:25. This was compressed using the manually developed hydraulic press machine to effectively mold the briquettes into desired shape. The solid analysis showed that the developed bio-briquettes at the ratio 85:15 produced maximum heating values with percentage moisture content of 18.8. It was also observed that the cooking time for briquette produced using hyacinth plant was 40min/kg with SFC of 0.4kg/kg while that of paraffin was 32min/kg with SFC of 0.152kg/kg, meaning that kerosene stove cooks faster than briquette produced from hyacinth plant. However, hyacinth briquette is cost effective, available and affordable. In conclusion, the produced briquettes have lower smokiness, high maximum temperature and long burning time. Establishing a small scale water hyacinth briquetting firm is a better way of averting deforestation and creating employment to boost the confidence of young people.