Sustainable Energy Model for the Production of Biomass Briquettes Based on Rice Husks in Peruvian Low-Income Agricultural Areas

Abstract

An energy model focuses on the sustainability of environmental proposals that use clean biomass technology. In this case, briquette production seeks to generate socio-environmental development in agricultural areas contaminated by the burning of rice husks. However, this agricultural waste product has a large heating capacity and can be used as a raw material for briquette production, replacing conventional contaminant fuels such as firewood and reducing Peru's annual energy consumption by approximately 833,000 kg of CO 2 per year, considering the minimization of emissions from the felling of trees and the burning of rice husks. These rice husks are burned and generate pollutant gases, causing respiratory and pulmonary problems. Despite these negative effects, it is an agricultural waste product with great untapped energy potential and constitutes an opportunity to promote socio-environmental development based on economic valorization. The level of deforestation would decrease by approximately 2070 trees per year, 23% of a market population which consumes 10 kg of firewood per day. Unlike similar projects, briquette production sustainability may be achieved when economic, environmental and social aspects are included in energy model development, based on the application of clean technology and efficient management of energy supplies, such as husk supplies and corresponding briquettes.

Characterization of Rice Husk and Coconut Shell Briquette as an Alternative Solid Fuel

“…The results also compare well with the data reported [19] using elephant grass and spear grass samples. However, the result obtained for 50:50 and 80:20 are lower than those of 20.7 MJ/kg and 17.3 MJ/kg for the same composition reported in the literature [20]. It was also observed that the briquettes at 60:40 and 90:10 have higher calorific values when compared with those that have been widely reported which are in the range 17 to 21 MJ/kg for biomass materials.…”

“…The measured density ranged from 1.5 g/cm 3 to 3.0 g/cm 3 and shows that CS is the densest, and in theory, ought to have the highest energy content. The RH density of 1.5 g/cm 3 is greater than that of 0.678 g/cm 3 reported in the literature [20]. On the other hand, RH and the briquettes prepared at 50:50 are the lowest and hence have low energy contents.…”