Manufacture of densified solid biofuels (briquettes) made of acacia sawdust and cattle manure in the region of Cordoba

Abstract

In Colombia around 460,000 households lack of electricity, 4% of the total population. The department of Córdoba has approximately 1.9 million livestock, which annually translates to 4.2 million tons of manure. This work assesses the physicochemical and energetic properties of briquettes made with mixtures of acacia sawdust and cattle manure from Córdoba. Briquettes were subjected to tests for compressive strength, mechanical durability, and calorific value, with the most favorable mixture being 60% manure and 40% sawdust. Furthermore, a gasification process was conducted, resulting in a low calorific value of 1556 kJ/kg and a generation power of 11.8 kW.