The collection and densification of grape vine shoots into briquettes

Abstract

Globally, biomass is a valuable renewable organic resource from which are briquettes and pellets produced. The biomass used for performing the experimental research regarding the production of briquettes from grapevine shoots was collected from eight varieties within the vineyard of the "Ion Ionescu de la Brad" University of Life Sciences in Iași, with a row spacing of 2.3m and 1m between vines. The average quantity of shoots collected per plant ranged between 0.327 kg/vine for Cabernet Sauvignon and 0.433 kg/vine for Muscat Ottonel. As a result of the experiments, the moisture content of the briquettes was ranged between 7.78% for the Fetească neagră variety and 8.20% for Busuioaca de Bohotin. The unit density, for all varieties, was higher than 1389 kg/m3; the briquette length recorded values ranging from 200 ± 1.5 mm for Muscat Ottonel to 200 ± 2.5 mm for Busuioaca de Bohotin, and the diameter ranged from 49 ± 0.28 mm for Pinot noir to 49 ± 0.83 mm for Sauvignon blanc. The density of the briquettes was between 1227.0 kg/cm3 for Fetească Albă and 1389.0 kg/cm3 for the Muscat Ottonel variety. The lower calorific value was ranged from 16.92 ± 1.2 MJ/kg for Muscat Ottonel to 17.94 ± 1.1 MJ/kg for Sauvignon blanc. The energy required for grinding the fractions containing particles bigger than 8 mm ranged between 0.0976 MJ/kg of product for Cabernet sauvignon and 0.1032 MJ/kg of product for Muscat Ottonel.