EXERCISE 1

PRE-LABORATORY REPORT

Bagasse as Fuel

Group III-OPPS

Members:

Orence, Gem Carlo M.

Pacio, Allyssa Mae J.

Prudencio, Daniel Andre O.

Saguan, Mark Glenn B.

I. Introduction

World energy demand is increasing day by day. Energy is a source of development for

world’s growing economy. Today, most of this energy demand is fulfilled by fossil fuels. Fossil

fuel is a nonrenewable energy resource which has caused a huge amount of greenhouse gas

emission. Due to depletion of fossil fuel resources and global warming, it is very crucial to

search for alternative and renewable energy sources. Biomass, which is abundantly available

around the world, is a renewable resource for energy production. (Sohaib et al., 2017)

The dry residue obtained from sugarcane after a series of extraction of cane juice is called

bagasse. Most of the sugar factories are using bagasse to generate steam for power plant

operations resulting to combined use of waste management and bagasse utilization as fuel.

Through high pressure boilers and condensing turbo alternators, bagasse can be used in

electricity generation, also known as cogeneration. (Savou et al., 2018)

One pathway of bagasse is char production. Char is the solid material remains after light

gases (such as coal gas), and tar are driven out and released from a carbonaceous material (such

as bagasse) during the initial stage of combustion. A common method used to convert bagasse

into char is pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is the thermal decomposition of organic matter. It is actually

situated to high temperature in the absence of oxygen. The products of pyrolysis include biochar,

bio-oil and gases including methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. (Zafar,

2018)

Pyrolysis will yield certain amount of products depending on the thermal environment and

the final temperature. At low temperatures, less than 450​0​​C​, and with quite slow heating rate, it
will yield mainly biochar. While, at high temperatures, greater than 800​0​​C, and with rapid

heating rates,

it will yield mainly gases. Certainly, at an intermediate temperature and under relatively high

heating rates, the main product is bio-oil. (Zafar, 2018)

The ultimate analysis as well as the proximate analysis of bagasse should also be

considered. The proximate analysis defines the magnitude of the ash, moisture, volatiles, fixed

carbon; while the ultimate analysis defines the composition of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen,

oxygen and sulphur (Mtunzi et al, 2012).

Based on the report of Mtunzi et al. in 2012, the proximate analysis of bagasse can be

summarized as shown in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1. Proximate analysis of bagasse (Mtunzi et al., 2012).

Component Composition, %

Fixed carbon 11.82

Volatile matter 84.79

Ash 2.91

Moisture 48

Total 100
Table 1.2 Ultimate analysis of bagasse (Mtunzi, et al., 2012)

Component Composition, %

Carbon 49.2

Hydrogen 4.69

Oxygen 43

Nitrogen 0.18

Sulfur 0.02

Other elements 2.43

To determine the the Gross Calorific Value (GCV) and Net Calorific Value (NCV) on

wet basis the following equations are used (Hugot, 1986):

GCVw = 4600(1 – W) – 1200S

NCVw = 4250 1 – 485W – 1200S

where:

W is the water content in bagasse (48%); and

S is the sugar content in bagasse (4%).

 The quantity of heat remaining to be transferred to the steam is therefore given as:

Mv = [4250 – 4850W – 1200S – q]* αβη

= [NCV – q]* αβη

where:

α is the coefficient losses due to incomplete combustion;

β is the coefficient losses due to radiation;

η is the coefficient losses due to unburnt solids;

Mv is the heat transferred to the steam per kg of bagasse burnt in kJ/kg;

W is moisture of bagasse;

S is the sugar content per kilogram of bagasse; and

q is the sensible heat loss of flue gases.

For ordinary furnaces, α = 0.98 while α = 0.975 for Spreader stoker furnaces (Hugot,

1986). The type of furnaces used at HVE, β = 0.975 and η=0.965 are Spreader Stocker furnaces.

The sensible heat loss (q) was found to be 1.43MJ/kg. The sensible heat loss was determined as

follows:

q = [(1 – W)(1.4m – 0.13) + o.5]*t

where:

q is the sensible heat loss in kcal/kg;

W is the moisture content in the bagasse (48%);

m is the excess air ratio (1:4); and

t is the flue gas temperature (235°C).

 However, not all of this heat from the bagasse goes into steam production. There are also

heat losses that should be accounted in the furnace as well as in the boiler. The losses consist of

the following (Mtunzi et al., 2012).

• Latent heat of water formed by combustion of hydrogen found in the bagasse

• Latent heat of water contained in the bagasse

• Sensible heat of the flue gas leaving the boiler

• Losses of heat in ash and grit

• Losses of heat by radiation and convection from the furnace and boiler

• Losses due to incomplete combustion of carbon giving carbon monoxide

instead of carbon dioxide

According to the ASTM Standard Method E1755, in the determination of ash in biomass,

ash is expressed as mass percent of the residue after dry oxidation (575 ± 25°C) of materials like

herbaceous stuffs, wastepapers, acid and alkaline pretreated biomass, solid fraction of

fermentation residues or agricultural residues such as bagasse. Ash is to be reported relative to

105°C oven-dried mass of the bagasse sample (Sluiter et al, 2005).

On the other hand, moisture is determined by obtaining the loss in weight of the sample

upon heating under rigidly controlled conditions such as temperature, time and atmosphere,

sample weight, and equipment specifications. As stated by ASTM Standard Method D3173, “an

ordinary drying oven with openings for natural air circulation and capable of temperature

regulation between limits of 104 and 110°C may be used.” (ASTM, Int’l, 2009)
II. Objectives

The general objective of this concept paper is to determine the full potential of bagasse as

a fuel. Specifically, it aims to:

1.) produce char from sugarcane bagasse;

2.) determine the percent yield of char production;

3.) perform proximate analyses of bagasse and char; and

4.) determine the heating value (HV) of bagasse and char.

III. Materials and Equipment

A. CHAR PRODUCTION

Bagasse

Weighing scale

Furnace

Crucible with cover

Dessicator

B. PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF BAGASSE AND CHAR

220g bagasse

6 crucible with cover

Weighing scale

Furnace

Desiccator
IV. Flowchart of Methods

​CHAR PRODUCTION

Temperature for pyrolysis - less than 450​0​​C with slow heating rate.

Figure 1.2 Schematic diagram of pyrolysis process of pretreated bagasse

(Sohaib et. al, 2017)

PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF BAGASSE AND CHAR

Note that each procedure will be done in duplicates.

a. Moisture Determination
 Figure 1.3 Flowchart of moisture content determination of bagasse and

char (from SUTC 148 handouts)

b. Ash Content Determination

Figure 1.4 Flowchart of ash content determination (Aragaw, 2016)

 c. Volatile Matter Content Determination

Figure 1.5 Volatile matter content determination in bagasse and char

flowchart (Aragaw, 2016)

d. Fixed Carbon Content Determination

%D = 100% − (%A − %B − % C)

In determining fixed carbon content in bagasse and char, subtract the sum of the

percentages obtained from A, B, and C from 100.

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