Valorization and optimization of Prosopis africana pod and cowpea husk wastes for densified hybrid briquette production

Abstract

Biomass is an eco-friendly alternative sustainable renewable energy source when agricultural wastes are effectively utilized. It has become critical to assess the suitability of biofuel briquettes as an energy source for cooking, electricity, and fuel for heating. Certainly, the integration of energy sources into energy policies is warranted, considering the huge potential to provide energy for rural communities and the peri-urban poor with alternative fuel. This research describes a technique to generate densified hybrid solid biofuels from biomass waste and valorize them. Prosopis africana pod (PAP) and cowpea husk (CPH) wastes were combined to create high-energy-density fuel briquettes. The experiment involves improving briquette manufacturing parameters using response surface methodology to better understand the impacts of particle sizes, composition, binder concentrations, and densification pressures on briquette performance. The optimal conditions were particle size 150 µm, 50% PAP, 10% binder concentration, and densification pressure 103.42 kN/m2. The optimum values for burning rate, ignition time, specific fuel consumption, and heating value were 0.35 g/min, 2.75 min, 0.186 g/L, and 22.98 MJ/kg, respectively. The findings show the potential for using PAP and CPH biomass waste to produce environmentally friendly energy sources. This increases the potential agro-waste feedstocks for bioenergy in developing countries, reducing energy insecurity while promoting waste management, renewable energy generation, and environmental sustainability.