BIOMASS BRIQUETTE MANUFACTURING
INTRODUCTION & MARKET PROSPECTS OF BIOMASS BRIQUETTE MANUFACTURING
Biomass briquette manufacturing is done mainly from agro residues. Many developing countries produce huge quantities of agro residues but are used inefficiently, causing extensive environmental pollution.
The major residues are rice husk, coffee husk, coir pith, jute sticks, bagasse, groundnut shells, mustard stalks, and cotton stalks. Sawdust, a milling residue is also available in huge quantities.
Apart from the problems of transportation, storage, and handling, the direct burning of loose biomass in conventional grates is associated with very low thermal efficiency and widespread air pollution.
The conversion efficiencies are as low as 40% with particulate emissions in the flue gases more than 3000 mg/Nm³ In addition, a large percentage of un-burnt carbonaceous ash has to be disposed of.
In the case of rice husk, this amounts to more than 40% of the feed burnt. As a typical example, about 800 tonnes of rice husk ash are generated every day in Ludhiana (Punjab) as a result of burning 2000 tonnes of husk.
BIOMASS BRIQUETTE MANUFACTURING
Briquetting of the husk could mitigate these pollution problems while at the same time making use of this important industrial/domestic energy resource. Historically, biomass briquetting technology has been developed in two distinct directions.
Europe and the United States have pursued and perfected the reciprocating ram/piston press while Japan has independently invented and developed the screw press technology.
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Although both technologies have their merits and demerits, it is universally accepted that screw-pressed briquettes are far superior to ram-pressed solid briquettes in terms of their storability and combustibility.
Japanese machines are now being manufactured in Europe under licensing agreement but no information has been reported about the manufacturing of European machines in Japan.
Worldwide, both technologies are being used for the briquetting of sawdust and locally available agro-residues.
Importance of biomass briquette manufacturing
Although the importance of biomass briquettes as a substitute fuel for wood, coal, and lignite is well recognized, the numerous failures of briquetting machines in almost all developing countries have inhibited their extensive exploitation.
Briquetting technology is yet to get a strong foothold in many developing countries because of the technical constraints involved and the lack of knowledge to adapt the technology to suit local conditions.
Overcoming the many operational problems associated with this technology and ensuring the quality of the raw material used are crucial factors in determining its commercial success.
In addition to this commercial aspect, the importance of this technology lies in conserving wood, a commodity extensively used in developing countries and leading to the widespread destruction of forests.
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Biomass densification, which is also known as briquetting of sawdust and other agro residues, has been practiced for many years in several countries.
Screw extrusion briquetting technology was invented and developed in Japan in 1945. As of April 1969, there were 638 plants in Japan engaged in manufacturing sawdust briquettes, known as ‘Ogalite’, amounting to the production of 0.81 MTY.
Production of biomass briquettes quadrupled in Japan
The fact that the production of briquettes quadrupled from 1964 to 1969 in Japan speaks for the success of this technology. This technology should be differentiated from such processes as the ‘Presto-o-log’ technology of the United States, the ‘Glom era’ method in Switzerland, and the ‘Compress’ method in West Germany.
At present two main high-pressure technologies: ram or piston press and screw extrusion machines, are used for briquetting. While the briquettes produced by a piston press are completely solid, screw press briquettes on the other hand have a concentric hole which gives better combustion characteristics due to a larger specific area.
The screw press briquettes are also homogeneous and do not disintegrate easily. Having a high combustion rate, these can substitute for coal in most applications and boilers. Briquettes can be produced with a density of 1.2 g/cm³ from loose biomass with a bulk density of 0.1 to 0.2 g /cm³
BIOMASS BRIQUETTE MANUFACTURING
These can be burnt clean and therefore are eco-friendly and arid also those advantages that are associated with the use of biomass are present in the briquettes. To improve the briquetting scene in India.
The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) – a finance granting agency – has financed many briquetting projects, all of which use piston presses for briquetting purposes.
However, the fact remains that these are not being used efficiently because of their technical flaws and also due to a lack of understanding of biomass characteristics.
Biomass briquette plants to achieve efficient profitability
Holding meetings with entrepreneurs at different levels, providing technical backup shells, and educating entrepreneurs have to some extent helped some plants to achieve profitability and hold out hope of reviving the briquette sector.
In other Asian countries, although briquetting has not created the necessary impact to create confidence among entrepreneurs, recent developments in technology have begun to stimulate their interest.
In Indonesia, research and development works (R&D) have been undertaken by various universities, the national energy agency, and various research institutes since the mid-seventies.
So far, these have mainly focused on biomass conversion technologies. R&D works on biomass densification development are relatively rare. There are several export-oriented sawdust and coconut shell charcoal briquette producers.
Dandified biomass is not carbonized
At present, dandified biomass, particularly that which is not carbonized, is not a popular fuel in the country. A limited amount of smokeless charcoal briquettes, mostly imported, are consumed in some households in big cities.
However, the prospects for the dandified biomass industry in Indonesia, particularly where it is export-oriented, seem to be good.
The Philippine Department of Energy is currently promoting the development and widespread use of biomass resources by way of encouraging the pilot-testing, demonstration, and commercial use of biomass combustion systems, as well as gasification and other systems for power, steam, and heat generation.
There is a limited commercial production of biomass briquettes in the country. At present nine commercial firms produce amounts ranging from 1 ton/day to 50 tons/day.
Four pilot briquetting plants have stopped operation. Briquettes are produced from sawdust, charcoal fines, and/or rice husk. In the Philippines, the conversion cost from biomass to briquette is very high.
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Govt is providing support to promote this project
The government is providing support to state-run and private organizations to promote briquetting. The entrepreneurs, especially, are very much interested in the briquetting of agro residues and their utilization.
India is the only country where the briquetting sector is growing gradually despite some failures. As a result of a few successes and IREDA’s promotional efforts, several entrepreneurs are confidently investing in biomass briquetting.
These entrepreneurs are also making strenuous efforts to improve both the production process and the technology. Both national and international agencies have funded projects to improve the existing briquetting technology in India.
Recently, the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in collaboration with the University of Twenty, the Netherlands carried out research to adapt the European screw press for use with Indian biomass.
The two major impediments to the smooth working of the screw press — the high wear of the screw and the comparatively sizeable specific power consumption required –were overcome by incorporating biomass feet preheating into the production process.
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The recent successes in briquetting technology and the growing number of entrepreneurs in the briquetting sector are evidence that biomass briquetting will emerge as a promising option for new entrepreneurs and other users of biomass.
POTENTIAL AGRO-RESIDUES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
Potential Agri-residues for biomass briquette manufacturing
The potential agro-residues that do not pose collection and drying problems, normally associated with biomass are rice husks, groundnut shells, coffee husks, and coir waste (obtained by the dry process).
At present, loose rice husk, groundnut shells, and other agro-residues are being used mostly by small-scale boilers in process industries.
Apart from being inefficient, these boilers do not have provisions to capture fly ash and unburnt carbon, with results in extensive air pollution.
In Ludhiana, one of the industrialized cities of Punjab (India), about 2,000 tones of rice husk are burnt every day.
This pollution problem has become so acute that the State Government of Punjab has banned the burning of loose husk in such boilers.
In India, the statewide policy will be defined
Likely, other States in India will soon follow this policy. The users have been advised to use husk either as briquette fuel or in fluidized bed boilers with proper pollution control measures.
As the number of industries is growing day by day, the energy required is also increasing proportionately and the present power supply is unable to meet the energy demand.
To combat this energy shortage, developed as well as developing countries are putting more effort into R&D to tap alternative energy sources.
State policies are also being formulated to encourage alternative sources of energy. In India alone, it is proposed that 17,000 MW should be produced from biomass.
Although other options like gasification can be used for power generation, the briquetting of biomass can be considered for its economics, reliability, and ease of operation.
Briquettes of small size can be used in gasifiers for power generation. If the plant sites are chosen properly for easy availability of raw material, the agro-residues can be briquettes to reduce further transportation costs and associated pollution.
This also improves the handling characteristics of biomass. The briquettes so obtained are very good fuels for local small-scale industries and domestic purposes. The basic use can be to substitute wood and coal thereby conserving natural wealth.
Appropriate Biomass Residues for Briquetting.
There are many factors to consider before biomass qualifies for use as feedstock for briquetting. Apart from its availability in large quantities, it should have the following characteristics:
Low moisture content-biomass briquette manufacturing
Moisture content should be as low as possible, generally in the range of 10-15 percent. High moisture content will pose problems in grinding and excessive energy is required for drying.
Ash content and composition
Biomass residues normally have much lower ash content (except for rice husk with 20% ash) but their ashes have a higher percentage of alkaline minerals, especially potash.
These constituents tend to volatilize during combustion and condense on tubes, especially those of superheaters.
These constituents also lower the sintering temperature of ash, leading to ash deposition on the boiler’s exposed surfaces.
The ash content of different types of biomass is an indicator of the slugging behavior of the biomass. Generally, the greater the ash content, the greater the slugging behavior.
However, this does not mean that biomass with lower ash content will not show any slugging behavior. The temperature of the operation, the mineral compositions of ash, and their percentage combined determine the slugging behavior.
If conditions are favorable, then the degree of slugging will be greater. Minerals like SiO2 Na2O and K2O are more troublesome.
Many authors have tried to determine the sagging temperature of ash but they have not been successful because of the complexity involved.
Usually, slagging takes place with biomass fuels containing more than 4% ash and non-slagging fuels with ash content of less than 4%. According to the melting compositions, they can be termed as fuels with a severe or moderate degree of slagging.
Flow characteristics of biomass briquette manufacturing
The material should be granular and uniform so that it can flow easily in bunkers and storage silos. Some of the appropriate agro-residues are described below.
Rice husk When compared to sawdust, agro residues have a higher ash content, higher potash content, and poor flow characteristics.
However, rice husk is exceptional biomass. It has good flowability, is normally available with 10 percent moisture and the ash contains fewer alkaline minerals, thereby it has a high ash sintering temperature.
It makes an excellent fuel although its calorific value is less than wood and other agro-residues. Other biomass materials. Groundnut shell:
Because of its low ash (2-3%) and moisture content of less than 10%, it is also an excellent material for briquetting. Cotton sticks:
This material is required to be chopped and then stored in dry form. It tends to degrade during storage. Also, it has a higher content of alkaline minerals and needs to be used with caution.
Bagasse/bagasse pith for biomass briquette manufacturing
These residues have a high moisture content of 50% after milling, hence drying is energy-intensive. They have low ash content and a correspondingly high heating value of the order of 4400 kcal/kg.
Pith is the small fibrous material that has to be removed from bagasse before bagasse is used as feedstock for making paper.
Due to shortages of wood and increasing demand for paper and pulp, an ever-increasing number of paper units are switching over to bagasse as feed material.
The amount of pith available is almost equal to the tonnage of paper produced by a paper mill. For example, a 60 TPD mill will generate 60 TPD of bagasse pith.
This material does not require milling before it is briquetted. At present, this pith is available from sugar mills at much lower costs. This is a potential material for briquetting.
Coffee husk: biomass briquette manufacturing
Excellent material for briquetting having low ash and available with 10 percent moisture content. The material is available in the coffee-growing areas of Karnataka and Kerala.
Mustard stalks:
Like cotton sticks, it is also an appropriate material for biomass briquette manufacturing.
Others: biomass briquette manufacturing
Other potential biomass residues suitable for briquetting are lentil stalks, sawdust, lantana cameras in hilly areas, tea wastes, and coir pith.
LOCATION OF THE UNIT FOR BIOMASS BRIQUETTE MANUFACTURING
The proposed unit be set up on such land that justifies the following basic considerations:-
- Availability of raw materials & consumables.
- Availability of Power, Fuel, Water.
- Banking facility.
- Marketing prospectus.
- Good communications.
- Labor facility.
RAW MATERIALS AND CONSUMABLES FOR BIOMASS BRIQUETTES MANUFACTURING
- All varieties of bio-agro waste.
- Packing bags.
ITEMS TO BE PRODUCED
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- Biomass Briquettes.
INSTALLED CAPACITY of BIOMASS BRIQUETTE MANUFACTURING
– 12 MT briquettes per day of 8 hours running.
– 300 MT briquettes.
– 3600 MT paddy per annum.
WORKING HOURS FOR BIOMASS BRIQUETTE MANUFACTURING
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- 8 hours per day.
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- 25 days per month.
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- 300 days per annum.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF BIOMASS BRIQUETTE MANUFACTURING
Manufacturing of bio-mass briquettes is mainly the high compaction to bind the agro and other waste materials together.
High compaction or binder-less technology consists of the piston press and the screw press. Most of the units currently installed in India are the reciprocating type where the biomass is pressed in a die by a reciprocating ram at very high pressure.
In a screw extruder press, the biomass is extruded continuously by a screw through a heated taper die. In a piston press, the wear of the contact parts e.g., the ram and die is less compared to the wear of the screw and die in a screw extruder press.
The power consumption in the former is less than that of the latter. But in terms of briquette quality and production procedure screw press is superior to the piston press technology.
The central hole incorporated into the briquettes produced by a screw extruder helps to achieve uniform and efficient combustion and, also, these briquettes can be carbonized.
The piston presses that are currently operating in India are also known as ram and die technology. In this case, the biomass is punched into a die by a reciprocating ram with a very high pressure thereby compressing the mass to obtain a briquette.
The briquette produced is 60 mm in external diameter. This machine has a 700 kg/hr capacity and the power requirement is 25 kW. The ram moves approximately 270 times per minute in this process.
Depending upon the type of biomass, three processes are generally required involving the following steps.
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- Sieving – Drying – Preheating – Densification – Cooling – Packing
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- Sieving – Crushing – Preheating – Densification – Cooling – Packing
3. Drying – Crushing – Preheating – Densification – Cooling – Packing
