Optimization of sugar cane mechanized harvesting residue analysing its biological digestion and briquettes production.

• Grant number: 09/09156-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2009
• End date: August 31, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering - Forest Biomass Energy
• Principal Investigator: Alcides Lopes Leao
• Grantee: Tânia dos Santos Martins de Souza
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The scarcity of non-renewable resources, the increasing demand and its environmental implications have estimulated the research and development of alternative technologies for energy supply. In this context, the biomass conversion in energetic vectors (liquid and gaseous fuels and electricity) has shows and interesting alternative. The sugar cane harvesting residue, also knowns as fines, is formed by biomass from point leaves and straw, whixch is burned in the harvesting process. The absence of this practice can signify an increasing in the air quality, energy production and consequently in the sector ecomomy. The straw has low density, therefore meaning a problem for transportation even in bailes. This project aims to evaluate the possiblities of utilization sugar cane harvesting residues for briquetes production and biodigerstion, analysing the energy production, the pollutant emissions and the process economical viability, with the help of optimization models.