Combustion Characterisation of Bituminous Coal and Pinus Sawdust Blends by Use of Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis

Garikai T. Marangwanda, Daniel M. Madyira, Patrick G. Ndungu and Chido H. Chihobo
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Garikai T. Marangwanda: Department of Mechanical Engineering Science, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa
Daniel M. Madyira: Department of Mechanical Engineering Science, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa
Patrick G. Ndungu: Energy, Sensors and Multifunctional Nanomaterials Research Group, Department of Chemical Sciences, Doornfontein Campus, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa
Chido H. Chihobo: Department of Fuels and Energy Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences and Technologies, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 22, 1-19

Abstract: The cocombustion of coal and pinus sawdust waste is an economically viable and sustainable option for increasing the share of biomass in energy production. This technology also has the potential to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases from existing coal fired power plants. The thermal synergistic effects of cocombusting Hwange bituminous coal (HC) with Pinus sawdust (PS) were thus investigated using thermogravimetric analysis. Fuel blending mass ratios of 100HC, 90HC10PS, 80HC20PS, 70HC30PS, and 100PS under an oxidative atmosphere at three different heating rates of 5, 12.5, and 20 °C/min were used for the experimental setup. Zero to negative synergy was generally observed for the mass loss curves (TG) at different blending ratios. Generally positive synergy was observed with relation to rate of mass loss curves (DTG) for the 80HC20PS and 70HC30PS fuel blends only. The ignition index increased with blending ratio by an average of 42.86%, whilst the burnout index showed a maximum increase of 14.6% at 20 °C/min. However, the combustion index representative of stability showed a decreasing trend generally for all the heating rates. No combustion index produced a linear variation with temperature, though upon evaluation, an optimum mass ratio of 20% pinus sawdust was suggested. The chosen optimum blending ratio demonstrated increased ignition and burnout indexes whilst maintaining the stability of combustion at a reasonable range.

Keywords: coal; biomass; cocombustion; thermogravimetric analysis; ignition index; burnout index; combustion index (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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