Parametric Evaluation of Quality of Biomass Fuel Briquettes Produced from Groundnut Shells: Effects of Operating Conditions in a Prototype Briquetting Machine

This research addresses the effects of moisture content, particle size, and compression pressure on the quality of fuel briquettes produced from groundnut shells. The objective is to optimize the briquetting process for quality attributes. Experiments were performed using a prototype briquetting machine with a 3 × 3 × 2 factorial design. The experiments considered moisture (6.48%, 9.63%, and 12.17%), particle sizes (3 mm, 5 mm, and 7 mm), and compression pressure (70 MPa, 140 MPa). Quality attributes measured included density, breaking index, rolling index, water resistance, moisture resistance, and compressive strength. Findings showed optimal processing variables for quality with lower particle sizes (3 mm) and higher levels of pressure (140 MPa). The lowest level of moisture (6.48%) showed optimal mechanical properties, represented by maximum density of 1301.81 kg m−3 with maximum mechanical strength of 97.01% fracture resistance and 91.12% rolling resistance. Maximum water resistance of 13.25% was obtained with intermediate values of moisture (9.63%). The data obtained showed that increasing particle size and moisture content negatively affected briquette quality. Groundnut shells possess promise for the production of superior-quality fuel briquettes. This research validates the criticality of optimizing processing variables. This research poses critical challenges regarding scale and environmental effects.