Characterization of pellets manufactured from plant waste and farm waste residues blended with distillery sludge as a prospective alternative fuel source

The conversion of agro-residues to value added products is a potential opportunity for all agrarian countries. This study involves the utilization of agro-waste sourced from farmlands, and plant foliage waste collected from university premises, both blended with the distillery sludge in a ratio of 1:1 to prepare pellets. The pellet samples were tested with proximate analysis and ultimate analysis. The gross calorific value of the coal sample was 8967.23 kcal/kg, whereas the plant waste and sludge blend sample indicated a value of 7121.70 kcal/kg. The pellets produced from farm waste and sludge showed a value of 8621.334 kcal/ kg which is close to the gross calorific value of coal. The burning rate of the pure coal was found to be the highest with a value of 0.156 mg/min, followed by a mixture of farm waste and sludge with 0.129 mg/min and a blend of plant waste and sludge with 0.00745 mg/min, respectively. This research highlights the possibility of converting distillery sludge, plant waste, and farm waste into alternate fuel source.