| dc.description.abstract | The tea industry in Kericho is among the main consumers of firewood for its intensive
thermal energy demand used in industrial steam boilers. Concerns over firewood
depletion have led tea producers to switch to alternate fuels for boilers. Briquettes made
from biomass leftovers are among the possible options; however, they are not yet widely
adopted and implemented. This study found a potential source of briquettes for fire
boilers that will use agricultural byproducts produced in Kericho. The combustion
properties of blended briquettes made from sawdust, maize stalks, and coffee husks were
used to determine the optimal ratio. Among the primary reasons is the depletion of
firewood, with a rise in the number of tea industry projects in Kericho County, resulting
in an 8% reduction in forest cover. Blended briquettes have gained attention as a
sustainable alternative to traditional fuels due to their potential for reducing
environmental impact by utilizing agricultural and forestry residues and reducing the
dependency on wood pellets. The physical properties investigated in this research
included gross calorific value, moisture content, fixed carbon, and volatile matter of the
blended briquettes. Experiment design and analysis were done using Design-Expert®
Software Version 10-Stat-Ease.The response surface methodology was utilized to
investigate how burning affects the physical properties of mixed briquettes manufactured
from coffee husks, maize stalks, and sawdust. The interaction of the parameters was
also explored. Blended briquettes were developed from coffee husks, maize stalks, and
sawdust, measuring 45mm by 45mm by 35mm.From the analysis of individual
briquettes, Individual briquettes' moisture content ranges from 10.01 % and 12.59%.
Coffee husks gave 10.01%, Maize stalks briquettes 12.59% and coffee husks 10.01. The
volatile matter is between 71.25% and 78.30% where sawdust gave 77.05%, coffee husks
78.30% and maize stalks 71.25%. The fixed carbons range between 8.58% and 13.08%.
Sawdust gave 9.36%, coffee husks 8.58% and maize stalks at 13.08%. The Calorific
Value is between 3.8652 kCal/g and 4.2149 kCal/g. Sawdust generated 4.1589 kCal/g,
Coffee Husks 4.2129 kCal/g and maize stalks 3.8652 kCal/g. The optimal mix ratio of
sawdust: coffee husks: maize stalks is 350:169.142:150. This ratio gives a moisture
content of 9.65%, a gross calorific value of 4.356 kCal/g, a fixed Carbon of 6.986%, and
a volatile matter of 79.115%. This has verified that blended briquette fuel has better
combustion properties than individual samples. The knowledge gained from this research
has contributed to the development of renewable energy technologies and supports the
transition towards a more environmentally friendly and resource-efficient society. | en_US |
