FUEL AND EMISSION CHARACTERISTICS OF SWEET SORGHUM AND SWEET SORGHUM/LIGNITE BRIQUETTES

Sweet sorghum is a typical C4 energy plant. Energy plants can be utilized either directly via combustion or indirectly via technologies such as gasification, liquefaction and pyrolysis for energy production. In this study, sweet sorghum grown at the TUBITAK-MRC, Turkey was analysed in terms of its important fuel characteristics with respect to direct combustion as sweet sorghum briquettes. Within this frame, first heating value, proximate analysis, elemental analysis and sulphur content determinations of sweet sorghum were completed. Then, sweet sorghum was briquetted via a unique technique developed at the TUBITAK-MRC. Briquettes were also prepared from mixtures of 40% sweet sorghum and 60% selected domestic lignites. Fuel characteristics as well as mechanical characteristics were determined for sweet sorghum and sweet sorghum/lignite briquettes. The emission characteristics of briquette combustion are also presented.