Deforestation is becoming a series problem in the world today and as such alternative sources of energy are sought for. Bagasse from sugarcane is mostly flamed and considered waste after most of it is used for fuel production during the manufacture of sugarcane and the waste is fed to animals. Places like China have come up with a way to make uses of sugarcane bagasse by turning it into charcoal briquettes.
How it is done
The carbonization process involves a series of high temperature reactions that include; smoke volatilization, sulfur release and carbon enrichment.
The principle of high temperature pyrolysis is utilized in this charcoal making equipment.
The bagasse from sugarcane usually has a lot of moisture so it needs to be dried first through a dryer machine before it is carbonized to make sure that the end product is of high quality.
The raw materials are then delivered to the furnace via a conveyer belt. Traditional fuels such as natural gas, wood and charcoal are then used for preheating, when it reaches the appropriate temperature, combustible gas is generated to provide heat for the furnace and the dryer.
The remaining materials will then be declined by the cooling system and collected.
The combustible gas will be liquefied and turned into tar and wood vinegar. Any hazardous gas will then be discharged.
The charcoal made from bagasse provides an alternative source of renewable fuel to wood.
The most common fuels used in this charcoal manufacturing equipment include coal, biomass, natural gas, flammable gas and combustible rubbish which save a lot on costs.
Things to note when operating the machine
The size of the raw materials should always be within 30mm.
Temperatures should always be between 400-600 degrees Celsius
Moisture in the raw material must always be below 20 %.
The furnace should be allowed to run without any interruption or addition of new materials.
More information here: https://bestonasia.com/biomass-pyrolysis-plant/.
Final products
The final products include sugarcane charcoal, tar, wood, vinegar and combustible gas.
Properties of bagasse fuel briquettes
They produce very high quality fuel pellets from a machine called a wood pellet mill which have low moisture content and high density which make them burn more efficiently.
Advantages of using sugarcane bagasse to make charcoal briquettes.
It is cheaper for the user compared to other sources of fuel.
The final product has no moisture making it more efficient.
It is smokeless due to its high caloric value and thus has a positive effect to the environment as the problem of pollution is avoided.
The briquettes have a very high density in their bulk which results to high charcoal yield.
The transportation costs are reduced
The Sugarcane bagasse biochar kiln is very flexible and convenient as it not only handles sugarcane waste, but it can process other biomass materials such as sawdust, coconut shell and straw.
In this process of making charcoal from bagasse, the carbonization furnace is the most important part of the machine and as it can be designed according to the customer’s specifications.
Impact on the environment
The process of sugar carbonization to make charcoal is sealed so there is no pollution and the furnace is always covered.
Impact on power stations
Places like India which have a shortage of electricity supply have turned to the used of power stations powered by briquettes from sugarcane bagasse. This is a cheaper source of fuel and thus enables the people to afford electricity.
Applications
Bagasse fuel is used in cooking at home. The artificial charcoal produced has very high flammability and can also be used to produce activated carbon.
The bio-gas produced can be recycled and used as a heat for the carbonization furnace and thus consumption of traditional fuel is reduced.
Tar and wood vinegar have high temperature resistance and durability and thus can be used to make oil paint, pesticides and chemical fertilizer
The fibrous remains from sugarcane production in itself serves as an alternative to wood fuel.
Conclusion
With the growing issue of environmental pollution all over the world, it has become a necessity that we embrace methods of fuel and energy production that are environmentally friendly. Bestongroup offers high quality machines to sole this problem. Wood fuel is always a good choice but the problem of soil erosion and pollution is contribution to issues such as global warming and we need to secure a better future for the next generations.
With the use of new machines such as the sugarcane bagasse charcoal making machine, these problems are greatly minimized and bagasse which is highly considered as waste is now utilized for a greater good.