Evaluation of the Energy Use of Pruning Dipteryx alata Trees

Abstract

Pruning is equivalent to the removal of whole branches or parts, living or dead, of a plant, to promote balance in the development of the species, therefore, the generation of waste portrays an indispensable and ever-present consequence. The residues derived from pruning come from silvicultural treatments and evidently have great potential to be used in energy generation. Briquetting, in addition to its energy advantage and practicality, collaborates with the mitigation of environmental impacts from encouraging the use of renewable energies to reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, as they are strongly recommended for replacing fossil coal. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the possibility, related to quality and productivity, of the energy use of residual biomass from urban pruning of Dipteryx alata, focusing on the production of briquettes, thus encouraging further studies related to native species of the Cerrado and the use of renewable energy. The contents of volatile materials, ash and fixed carbon, higher calorific value, basic and energetic density were determined, and briquettes were produced in a laboratory briquetting machine. The quality of the briquettes was determined through physical-mechanical analyses: apparent density, durability, tensile strength by diametral compression and expansion. The energy density of the biomass had a considerable increase after briquetting, confirming the increase in energy concentration per unit volume in densified materials. Therefore, it was concluded that the use of urban pruning residues of Dipteryx alata proved to be suitable for making briquettes to produce renewable and sustainable energy.