Briquette Production from Vineyard Winter Pruning Using Two Different Approaches

Ioan Ţenu, Radu Roșca (), Oana-Raluca Corduneanu, Cecilia Roman, Lacrimioara Senila, Vlad Arsenoaia, Liviu Butnaru, Marius Băetu, Constantin Chirilă and Petru Marian Cârlescu
Additional contact information
Ioan Ţenu: Agricultural Machinery Department, Iasi University of Life Sciences “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, 700490 Iași, Romania
Radu Roșca: Agricultural Machinery Department, Iasi University of Life Sciences “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, 700490 Iași, Romania
Oana-Raluca Corduneanu: Agricultural Machinery Department, Iasi University of Life Sciences “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, 700490 Iași, Romania
Cecilia Roman: Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation Subsidiary, National Institute for Research and Development of Optoelectronics Bucharest INOE 2000, 67 Donath Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Lacrimioara Senila: Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation Subsidiary, National Institute for Research and Development of Optoelectronics Bucharest INOE 2000, 67 Donath Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Vlad Arsenoaia: Agricultural Machinery Department, Iasi University of Life Sciences “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, 700490 Iași, Romania
Liviu Butnaru: Agricultural Machinery Department, Iasi University of Life Sciences “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, 700490 Iași, Romania
Marius Băetu: Agricultural Machinery Department, Iasi University of Life Sciences “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, 700490 Iași, Romania
Constantin Chirilă: Agricultural Machinery Department, Iasi University of Life Sciences “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, 700490 Iași, Romania
Petru Marian Cârlescu: Agricultural Machinery Department, Iasi University of Life Sciences “Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, 700490 Iași, Romania

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-19

Abstract: Worldwide, different strategies are being developed in order to ensure optimum conditions for the development and growth of economic competitiveness, as well as for increasing the quality of life and environmental protection. All these strategies are closely linked to the development and modernization of systems for producing energy from clean and renewable sources. In this context, the present paper presents the results of research regarding the evaluation of the sustainability of briquette production using biomass resulting from vine winter pruning as the raw material. An analysis of the scientific literature indicates that nearly 8 Mt of biomass would result from the over 7.4 million hectares of vine plantations in the world, biomass that could be valorized through densification in order to produce solid biofuels with a lower calorific value of more than 17 MJ/kg. This study examines the production of briquettes from vineyard winter pruning with consideration of two types of densification technologies: baling and natural drying of the tendrils, and collection, shredding, and artificial drying of the lignocellulose debris. The quality indices and energy consumption and energy efficiency of the briquettes were evaluated to determine their feasibility as an alternative fuel source. When designing the scientific endeavor, the following aspects were considered: defining the aim and objectives of the research; designing the research algorithm; collecting, preparing, and conditioning the biomass; conducting a chemical analysis of the briquettes; and evaluating the energy consumption and energy efficiency for producing the briquettes, taking into account two drying methods (natural and artificial drying). In the meantime, some specific laboratory equipment was designed and built for the artificial drying of biomass, evaluation of mechanical durability, measurement of energy consumption, etc. Analysis of the experimental data has led to the conclusion that the agricultural waste from vine pruning can constitute an important and sustainable source of energy in the form of briquettes that fulfill most of the requirements imposed by international standards.

Keywords: biomass; renewable energy; briquettes; horticultural waste; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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