Technical Assessment Of Burning Characteristics Of Cocoa Shell Briquette And Its Suitability For Use In Industrial Steam Generators

ABSTRACT

The decreased world fossil energy reserve, in general, and specifically in Nigeria requires us to find alternative energy resources. Biomass is one of alternative energies with great potential in Nigeria. One of it is Cocoa Shell (CS) as the waste of cocoa fruit, with the production 89,155 tons/year will produce 207,958 tons shell/year. Cocoa shells are made into briquette with particle size < 1 mm, and then burnt in combustion test instrument with variations raw material composition of biomass and biomass charcoal. Mass reduction of each variable is measured using digital scale include RS232 that is connected to computer, burning gas temperature by using thermonuclear. In terms of burning rate, generated energy and gas temperature the best raw material composition is 75% of biomass raw material and 25% of biomass charcoal.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

• OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT
• PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT
• SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
• PROJECT ORGANIZATION

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

• REVIEW OF THE STUDY
• BRIQUETTE TECHNOLOGY
• BRIQUETTE PROCESSES AND PRODUCTION
• DESCRIPTION OF BRIQUETTE PLANT COMPONENTS
• APPROPRIATE BIOMASS RESIDUES FOR BRIQUETTING
• FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF BRIQUETTING
• COMPACTION CHARACTERISTICS OF BIOMASS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

• MATERIAL AND METHOD

CHAPTER FOUR

TEST AND RESULT ANALYSIS

• RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

CHAPTER FIVE

• CONCLUSION
• REFERENCES

 CHAPTER ONE

2.0                                                               INTRODUCTION

1.1                                                 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The Energy is a critical requirement for socioeconomic growth and development (Mensah-Kutin, 2007; Akuffo, 2007; Environmental Protection Agency, 2007). Activities of production, consumption, transportation, manufacturing, infrastructure, security, etc, are all built and delivered upon one energy source or the other; be it biomass, electricity, fossil fuels, nuclear, wind, solar, or thermal. This close relationship between energy and development has led (Akuffo, 2007) to project that an economic growth of 1% would require energy consumption of about 2% and that for a much desired growth of 7% to 10% would be the need for much higher sustainable supply of energy.

The need for judicious use of energy resources today to promote sustainable development has been mentioned by (Ofosu-Ahenkorah, 2007). This concept has been popularized as development that meets the needs  of the present without  compromising  the  ability  of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland, 1987).

Geographically,  the  common  sources  of  energy  in developing countries have included biomass, electricity, and fossil fuels, with biomass being the most dominant. An estimated 89% of the population in Africa depend on biomass for energy supply (Mensah-Kutin, 2007). Biomass also dominates the energy mix in Nigeria, where about 60% of energy consumed comesfrom firewood and charcoal, with 30% from petroleum and 10% from electricity (Akuffo, 2007; Environmental Protection Agency,  2007).  Paradoxically,   this   overreliance on wood fuels has the potential to undermine development by contributing to environmental degradation and climate change.

The use of biomass is so pervasive that higher percentage of all households in  Nigeria  are  believed  to  rely  on fuel wood and charcoal as their main fuel for cooking, with 56% and 32% of households using fuelwood and charcoal respectively. The use of firewood on the other hand accounts for about 10% of household cooking fuel mix (KMA, 2006). Firewood is also the main fuel used in commercial and informal sector enterprises, encompassing the fields of bakeries, food preparation, soap manufacturing, groundnut paste manufacturing, fish smoking, cassava processing and palm oil manufacturing (ESMAP, 2011).

Developed countries are also taking steps to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. The European Union has targeted to reduce use of fossil fuels by 30% by 2020 (The Energy Center (KNUST), 2008). Fossil fuels are associated with adverse environmental impacts including those relating to climate change and human health. The use of residual fuel oils and diesels increases emission of gases that contribute to climate change (Environmental Protection Agency, 2007). Emphasis is rather advisedly  being  shifted to the development and use of renewable energy sources such as biomass, solar and wind, which have the potential to ensure energy security, mitigate the negative impacts of climate change and contribute to improved sanitation (Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, 2014).

Over 90% of the biomass energy (wood fuels) used in the country are directly from natural forests, with only 10% coming from wood waste, (i.e. logging and sawmill waste) and woodlands or planted forests (The Energy Center (KNUST), 2008). This disproportionate over dependence, together with other unsustainable agricultural practices, have contributed enormously to environmental degradation and destruction of the forest cover.

In addition to harming the forest cover, use of fuel wood contributes to climate change. Biomass acts as natural sinks for carbon dioxide, and its consequent removal leads to the emission and buildup of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Environmental Protection Agency, 2007; Ghana Statistical Service, 2008).

One practical way of reducing dependence on firewood and charcoal (and saving  the  forests) is to use instead residue and waste from biomass, in the form of briquettes.

Briquettes can also be made from the large amount of cocoa shell that come out from the cocoa, and be burnt to produce heat as a form of energy to run an industrial steam generator. The promotion of briquettes will also help to improve sanitation by finding use for cocoa shell, which is treated as waste and dumped on the ground and in nearby streams, further causing pollution of these places. For this to be done, there is the need   to set up briquette manufacturing plants that will produce and supply the product to end-users. However, the ownership and management of such  a facility would have to be determined in order to ensure sustainability and smoothness of operations. Since there is no such facility currently existing in the country, the need for research to identify a model briquette operational system that can be replicated across either in whole or in modified forms becomes imperative.

This study therefore is to assess the burning characteristics of cocoa shell briquette use steam plant in Nigeria. The aim is to identify the ideal organizational and management system for such a facility that can serve as a model and a standard for actual implementation. The main argument of the paper is that it is possible to identify and build a briquette manufacturing plant using the large available cocoa shell briquette.

1.2                                                AIM/OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of cocoa shell briquet establishing a proposed briquette plant, with specific interest in the type of management system that should be put in place to manage the plant when set up.

1.3                                               SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is very important in that is a good way of recycling cocoa shell waste and promoting environmental health. It also seeks to establish a workable management system that can be developed for such a venture and guarantee regular supply of the product. Moreover, this paper would contribute to efforts advanced to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, as stipulated in the Millennium Development Goals.

1.4                                                    PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this work is to promote the role of energy in poverty reduction and economic growth in an environmentally responsible manner. Its work applies to low-income, emerging, and transition economies and contributes to the achievement of internationally agreed development goals.

1.5                                                       SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Charcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from vegetation substances.

Cocoa shell briquet is produced by slow hydrolysis, the heating of cocoa shell in the absence of oxygen environment at 450° – 510° C by using either in a kiln or a continuously-fed furnace called a retort. The resulting soft, brittle, lightweight, black, porous material resembles coal and is 85% to 98% carbon with the remainder consisting of volatile chemicals and ash which is finally use to power industrial steam generators.

1.5                                                         PROJECT ORGANIZATION

The work is organized as follows: chapter one discuses the introductory part of the work,   chapter two presents the literature review of the study,  chapter three describes the methods applied,  chapter four discusses the results of the work, chapter five summarizes the research outcomes and the recommendations.