Investigation of emissions from torrefied and raw coconut husk combustion in a fluidized bed combustor

This research project conducted a study on the behavior of burning biomass in a laboratory-scale fluidized bed combustor. The biomass sample used is coconut husk. The objectives of the study are as follows: (1) To investigate the influence of torrefaction processes on the physical and chemical properties of the coconut husk fuel. (2) To study the release of pollutants resulting from burning coconut husk in the fluidized bed incinerator after torrefaction. The research methodology comprises of the following steps: (a) Obtaining and analyzing the proximate and ultimate chemical and physical properties of the fuel sample. (b) Testing the improvement in the quality of biomass through torrefaction. (c) Evaluating the pollutant emissions from the torrefied and non-torrefied biomass in the laboratory-scale fluidized bed combustor. The main outcome of the study was the knowledge gained about burning biomass samples with high levels of volatile matter, such as coconut husk, which underwent quality improvement through torrefaction. This knowledge can serve as a basis for academic research and be used as essential data for further studies (A) in designing/developing systems to enhance the quality of biomass through torrefaction and (B) in understanding the burning behavior of other types of biomass fuels.