BRIQUETTE MAKING MACHINE

INTRODUCTION:
Abundant agricultural waste is produced in millions of tonnes from vast
agricultural areas but they are disposed inefficiently causing extensive pollution to
the environment. Apart from the problems of transportation, storage, and handling,
the direct burning of these agro residues (loose biomass) in conventional grates is
associated with very low thermal efficiency and widespread air pollution.
The conversion efficiencies are as low as 40%. Most of this biomass goes to waste
by being dumped into landfills and even burned, which causes air pollution. We
can use biomass to create energy and fuel, as well as feed and other agricultural
necessities.
Briquetting is one of the densification techniques. Agglomeration of residues is
done with the purpose of making them denser for their use in energy production.
Raw materials for briquetting include waste from wood industries, loose biomass
and other combustible waste products. Briquetting waste materials gives sustained
combustion and more efficient combustion than loose agro wastes. Agro residue
volumes can be reduced by up to 90%.This creates a significant savings on
transportation/handling/storage costs/more convenient disposal. Briquettes are
immeasurably cleaner than the other fuel alternatives.

In addition to this commercial aspect, the importance of this technology lies in the
employment of farmers and rural people who can earn money from selling their
own agro waste. They can make Briquettes which are a good substitute to wood, for
burning and also these finished products can be easily marketed. Briquettes can be
produced in a variety of sizes and have a long shelf-life.

Briquettes are widely used in all thermal applications, Gasifier System applications,
Refractory Industries, Chemical Industries, Vegetable Plants, Leather Industries,
Milk Plant, Spinning Mill, Rubber Industries, Textile Units, Dyeing Units, Brick
making units, Ceramic Industries, Solvent Extraction Plant, Food Processing
Industries, Lamination Industries.

A Briquette is Eco friendly and a Renewable Energy Fuel. It has low ignition point,
when compared to coal. It has a good Market due to rise in price of Fossil Fuels. It
is pollution free because there is no sulphur or any hazardous materials. Uniform
physical dimensions & combustion characteristics, results in more efficient energy
conversion. Briquettes burn in a controlled manner, slow and efficiently because of
lower moisture content, higher bulk density, & lower ash content. Combustion is
more uniform compared to other fuels. Easy handling, packing and transportation
of briquettes can be made in any conventional length and diameter.



Principle:
To eliminate the smoke generation when burning agricultural residues
requires processing it by carbonization before being used as a house-hold indoor
fuel. Previously investigated, briquetting machines lacked high productivity and
were of complicated designs. This project puts forward a machine of simple design
which could be manufactured locally and can be run purely mechanically.

The major residues/ raw materials are rice husk, coffee husk, coir pith, jute sticks,
coffee husk bagasse, groundnut shells, mustard stalks and cotton stalks, Molasses.
Sawdust, a milling residue is also available in huge quantity.

The machine is compartmentalised into three stages.
In Stage1 (Top compartment) all the
raw materials, binder material
(manure) are dumped in proportions.
They are cut into small pieces by the
bladed shaft. The varying cross-
sectional hopper allows the material
to stay in the compartment and
properly mixed.

In stage 2(Middle compartment) the mixture
moves amongst two rollers which squeeze the
mixture.

In stage 3(Bottom compartment)
a conical-tapered screw will
thoroughly mix, compress &
squeeze the Biomass out of a die(
at the end of the shaft) in the form
of hollow cylindrical briquettes.
A perforated plate is placed next
to the die to squeeze of any liquid
present. A cutter cuts the
briquettes in definite sizes. Hollow briquettes allow the passage of air through it
more profusely and hence more combustible.
Bladed shaft
Tapered conical screw
Rollers
Dye
The shaft is rotated by pedalling, which in turn rotates the bladed shaft in the first
compartment, rollers in the second and the conical screw in the third compartment.
E.g.: The rear wheel of the bicycle can be replaced with this machine.
Strengths: Small in size, easily portable, easy to build, economical.

Expected results:
Briquettes may be produced with a
density of 1.2 g/cm from loose
biomass of bulk density 0.1 to 0.2 g
/ cm. The initial moisture content
of the feed stock required for the
machine about 30 %. Calorific
value of these agro wastes range
from 3500 kcal/kg to 4500 kcal/kg.
These values are theoretical
calculations and may differ during
actual working of the machine.

These specific characteristics of briquettes properties are:
Compared to firewood to 2-3 times higher density, and about 40% higher calorific
value and therefore achieve the same heating effect of the plant fire caused by
burning small quantities. Low ash content below 10% in comparison to coal 25 to
40% resulting in less boiler ash disposal problems.

Heating Values:
Wood: dry air (15-18%) of 15 MJ / kg the highest ash 16.9
Briquettes: 14 to 16 MJ / kg