An Exploration on Using Spent and Unspent Coffee Grounds as Biomass Pellet Fuel
In the following research, spent and unspent coffee grounds combined with either vegetable shortening or paraffin wax were burned in a coffee can calorimeter to determine whether using spent or unspent coffee grounds along with paraffin wax or vegetable shortening would affect the heat emitted. The goal of this experiment was to determine which coffee biomass fuel pellet would produce the most heat. After analyzing the collected data, it was found that there was no significant difference between the heat emitted by the spent and unspent coffee ground embodiments. However, due to paraffin wax being composed of petroleum, the wax embodiments using both, spent and unspent coffee. were found to be superior to the ones composed of vegetable shortening and both spent and unspent coffee.
The primary goal for researching these biomass fuel pellets was for developing countries with a high consumption of coffee. Countries that fit into this category include India, Brazil, and the Philippines. In addition to a high coffee consumption, these countries still have communities that use wood ovens for warmth or cooking. Therefore, an alternative fuel that limits the contamination of lakes from improper disposal of coffee, curbs deforestation and emits less carbon monoxide would be extremely beneficial for not only developing nations but the entire environment.
Research Conducted By:
Richard Johnson
Fraser High School
Jillian Maceroni
Sterling Heights High School
Warren Consolidated Schools