Characterization of Waste Biomass Fuel Prepared from Coffee and Tea Production: Its Properties, Combustion, and Emissions

Shangrong Wu (), Qingyue Wang (), Weiqian Wang, Yanyan Wang and Dawei Lu
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Shangrong Wu: Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
Qingyue Wang: Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
Weiqian Wang: Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
Yanyan Wang: Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
Dawei Lu: Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 17, 1-16

Abstract: In order to reduce global warming, new energy fuels that use waste biomass to replace traditional coal are rapidly developing. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility behavior of different biomass materials such as spent coffee grounds (SCGs) and spent tea grounds (STGs) as fuel during combustion and their impact on the environment. This study involves using fuel shaping and co-firing methods to increase the fuel calorific value and reduce the emissions of pollutants, such as NO X and SO 2 , and greenhouse gas CO 2 . The produced gas content was analyzed using the HORIBA (PG-250) laboratory combustion apparatus. The results indicate that, among the measured formed particles, SCG:STG = 8:2, 6:4, and 4:6 had the lowest post-combustion pollutant gas emissions. Compared to using only waste coffee grounds as fuel, the NOx emissions were reduced from 166 ppm to 102 ppm, the CO emissions were reduced from 22 ppm to 12 ppm, and the CO 2 emissions were reduced from 629 ppm to 323 ppm. In addition, the emission of SO 2 , the main component of acid rain, was reduced by 20 times compared to the combustion of traditional fuels. The SO 2 emission of five different proportions of biomass fuels was 5 ppm, which is much lower than that of traditional coal fuels. Therefore, SCG and STG mixed fuels can replace coal as fuel while reducing harmful gasses.

Keywords: waste biomass; spent coffee grounds; calorific value; spent tea grounds; pelleting; co-firing; combustion test; emission (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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