Vol. 11, Special Issue 3 (2022)

Author(s):
M Sathiyabarathi, S Vasantha Kumar and D Thirumeignanam

Abstract:
There were four combinations (T₁, T₂, T₃ and T₄) of briquettes evaluated for their properties. The breaking stability of all the four types of briquettes is considered as 100 per cent. The control group T₁ (cow dung only) was compared with other three groups. The cooking time is lesser in T₄ than other three groups for water boiling and rice cooking. But, in the milk boiling test, T₁ control briquette group boiled the milk in short time (3.58 minutes) with less quantity of briquettes (45.75g). The charcoal group (T₂) took longer time than other three groups of briquettes, in water boiling, milk boiling and rice cooking tests. The paddy husk group (T₄) with significantly less volatile matter (2.17 per cent) took short time in water boiling and rice cooking experiments, at the expense of lowest quantity of briquettes. T₂ and T₃ briquettes retained the heat energy for long time than the other two groups even after the experiment is over. This implies that the charcoal and saw dust group with more carbon, they must be useful for further cooking, that means for the subsequent cooking the efficiency might increase as there is more retention of heat energy. T₄ briquette, with second highest gross energy (3930 Kcal/Kg) it was very useful in reducing the boiling time of water and cooking time of rice with the minimum use of briquettes. T₃ group (saw dust in cow dung) was found to be less efficient than other briquettes.