Efficiency Assessment of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF-5) at Savannakhet University

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the efficiency of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF-5) briquettes produced from natural organic waste and residues—specifically leaves, coconut shells, and paper. The research focuses on analysing the heating value and physical characteristics of the fuel briquettes across three distinct mixture formulations: T1, T2, and T3. Heating value analysis was conducted using a Bomb Calorimeter in accordance with ASTM D4809 standards. The experimental results indicated that the heating values for RDF-5 formulations T1, T2, and T3 were 4,090 kcal/kg, 5,697 kcal/kg, and 6,096 kcal/kg, respectively. The findings revealed that the T3 formulation exhibited the highest efficiency and met the standard criteria for suitable fuel properties. Specifically, T3 demonstrated a superior heating value and more favourable physical characteristics compared to formulations T1 and T2 in this experiment. Furthermore, the physical characteristic analysis yielded the following results for formulations T1, T2, and T3, respectively: moisture content of 10.26%, 16.26%, and 17.95%; volatile matter of 46.87%, 56.36%, and 64.21%; ash content of 21.95%, 13.69%, and 8.92%; and fixed carbon content of 43.36%, 47.95%, and 50.60%. Based on the overall assessment, it can be concluded that the T3 RDF-5 formulation possesses superior heating efficiency and physical characteristics compared to the other formulations. Additionally, statistical analysis indicated a positive correlation between heating value and both fixed carbon and volatile matter content. Conversely, ash content was found to have a negative correlation with the heating value of the fuel briquettes.