BRIQUETTING TECHNOLOGY BRIQUETTING OF CROP RESIDUES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO COTTON STALK MARKET POTENTIAL IN INDIA

Briquetting is a technology for densification of biomass / crop residues to increase its bulk density, lower moisture contents, make briquettes of uniform size and shape for easy handling, transport and storage. It also helps in uniform burning when used as fuel. Briquettes have high specific density, about 1100-1200 kg/m3 and bulk density about 600-800 kg/m3 as compared to loose biomass which have bulk density in the range of 80-200 kg/m3. Briquetting can be done with and without binder. Commercial high capacity machines do not use binders. At higher temperature (between 100-120 C) the lignin present in the biomass is fluidized and acts as its own binder. On cooling it solidifies and holds the briquettes intact.

N.S.L.Srivastava Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute Vallabh Vidyanagar (Gujarat)

AVAILABLITY OF SURPLUS CROP AND AGRO PROCESSING RESIDUES AND THEIR USES
Annually about 477.46 millions tonnes of crop residues including about 27 million tonnes of cotton stalk and about 100 million tonnes of agro-processing residues/ wastes are produced in India. This does not include horticultural crop residues and wastes. Substantial quantities of these residues are used as cattle feed/fodder, domestic fuel for cooking, construction material for rural housing (thatch), for paper industry and as packing material. About 100-125 million tonnes, including about 11.8 million tonnes of cotton stalk, are not used properly and are available as surplus. Part of this surplus, specially the rice straw, some quantities of wheat straw and cotton stalks are burnt in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra These could be briquetted and used as fodder in fodder deficit areas and part for combustion/gasification. Cont.

Continued. With the increase in productivity of crops, on one hand and reduction in animal population, specially the draught animals, and environmental concerns regarding burning of straw on the other hand, the availability of biomass for briquetting will be much more from the present position. By the year 2015 about 700 million tonnes of crop and agroprocessing residues/wastes are likely to be available annually out of which about 300 million tonnes, including, 13 MT of cotton stalk, would be surplus. If the surplus biomass is briquetted as such or after fortification (for animal feed), its handling, storage and transport becomes economical and much easier and the briquettes can be used as feed and fodder for animals or as domestic and industrial fuel for energy.

Cont.

Continued.

Briquetted feed stocks can be transported to fodder deficit areas for creations of Fodder Banks. High density briquettes are used in boilers, gasifiers, furnaces and domestic cook stoves. The calorific value of crop/agro-processing residues vary between 3100 - 4500 kcal/kg. If used for power generation 1 kg of such residues can give about 1 kWh of electrical energy. It is visualized that in future there will be greater demand for briquetting of surplus biomass in India for feed, fodder and energy.

UNIT OPERATIONS INVOLVED IN PREPARATION OF DIFFERENT FEEDSTOCK FOR BRIQUETTING

Sr. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Feed-stocks
Sieving Drying

Unit operations performed

Cutting of branches/chopping Shredding Grinding

Saw Dust Sugarcane Bagasse Cotton Stalk Groundnut shell Jatropha Shell Wheat straw threshed Rice straw Pearl millet stalk Mustard stalk Dry leaves

-

-

-

-

a) Cutting of branches

b) Shredding in a shredder

c) Shredded material

d) Grinding in a hammer mill for powder making

Steps involved in preparation of Cotton Stalk for Briquetting

Briquetting and Pelleting Machines installed at SPRERI

SAW DUST

COTTON STALK POWDER

LOOSE SUGARCANE BAGGASE

GROUNDNUT SHELL POWDER

JATROPHA SHELL POWDER

50 % RICE HUSK POWDER + 50 % SAW DUST

Piston Press Type Briquetting Machine

CHOPPED RICE STRAW CHOPPED WHEAT STRAW

Different Types of Feedstock Used For Briquetting

Pelleting Machine

CC = Castor cake, SD + Sawdust, SBP + Sugarcane bagasse powder

Pellets of 22 mm size made with different combinations of Castor Cake with Sawdust and Sugarcane Bagasse

Pellets of 10 mm size made out of Castor Cake and Sawdust in the proportion of 50:50

Rice Husk Briquettes from Screw Press Briquetting Machine

MACHINE FOR MAKING ANIMAL FEED BLOCKS

ENERGY REQUIRED IN GRINDING AND BRIQUETTING OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF FEED STOCKS

Feedstock Moisture conten t% 10.10 9.70 1.21 9.30 10.39 12.68 2.10 4.58 7.27 5.85 Grinding Output kg/h 169.70 376.43 372.36 127.16 125.67 100.28 213.42 254.10 100.50 Energy used kWh/t 49.01 15.56 16.24 81.51 74.20 62.82 43.62 39.40 59.70 Briquetting Output** kg/h 618.83 232.72 553.50 619.00 413.70 295.15 251.86 248.49* 228.32* 804.60 Energy used kWh/t 40.73 60.08 34.75 38.77 35.29 46.52 54.14 52.88* 60.25* 20.87

Saw Dust Sugarcane Baggase Groundnut Shell Jatropha shell Shredded Cotton Stalk Shredded pearl millet stock Mustard stalk Threshed wheat straw Chopped rice straw

1.5 t/h Rice straw based briquetting plant for making animal feed blocks

Dry leaves

* Briquetting was done for a short period only ** Briquetting was done at 9-12% MC. incase of all the feedstocks

PERFORMANCE OF BRIQUETTING PLANT AT SPRERI

OUTPUT OF THE BRIQUETTING MACHINE ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF FEEDSTOCK
Feedstock Moisture content % 10.10 9.70 1.21 10.39 12.68 2.10 4.58 7.27 5.85 9.30 Bulk density in kg/m3 Loose 85.73 168.40 122.26 93.60 41.47 56.40 50.26 37.20 148.50 Powder 240.00 133.00 318.00 226.27 145.47 137.33 118.41 112.93 316.53 287.66 Briquettes 615.00 675.00 620.00 631.33 538.80 677.33 591.06 640.00* 442.00 684.70 True Density in kg/m3 1140.00 1100.00 1070.00 1110.00 980.00 1150.00 950.00 1250.00 950.00 1000.00 Extent of densification % 475 1283 635 2676 1047 2773 1684 2487 2554 673 Output* * kg/h 618.83 232.72 553.50 413.70 295.15 251.86 248.49 228.32* 804.60 619.00 Energy used kWh/t 40.73 60.08 34.75 35.29 46.52 54.14 52.88* 60.25* 20.87 38.77

COST OF BRIQUITTING OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIOMASS

Feed-stocks Fixed cost of Briquett-ing machine in SievRs/tonne ing Operating Cost Drying in Rs/tonne Actual Briquetting Cost of raw Total cost of material briquetting in including Total Rs/tonne raw Operat-ing material cost in Rs/tonne

Cutting of Shredd-ing Grinding branches / chopping

Saw Dust Sugarcane Baggase Groundnut Shell Shredded Cotton Stalk Shredded pearl millet stock Mustard stalk Threshed wheat straw Chopped straw Dry leaves Jatropha shell rice

When Briquetting Machine is running in one shift per day (8hrs) Saw dust 536.36 (26.43%) 29.25 (1.44% ) 1179.83 0.00 (36.31%) (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 227.50 (7.00%) 227.50 (6.88%) 227.50 (7.32%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 701.57 (21.59%) 203.64 (10.04%) 300.40 (9.25%) 176.49 (5.33%) 232.62 (7.48%) 264.40 (9.26%) 153.93 (5.53%) 270.71 (8.27%) 104.40 (6.36%) 232.89 (11.48%) 1229.47 (37.84%) 1544.85 (46.69%) 1059.04 (34.07%) 616.80 (21.61%) 311.38 (11.19%) 876.70 (26.79%) 694.14 (42.32%) 1260 (62.09%) 840 (25.85%) 1050 (31.73%) 1050 (33.78%) 1050 (36.80%) 1837.50 (66.06 %) 1050.00 (32.10%) 525.00 (32.00%) 2000.00 (100.00%) 3249.30 (100.00%) 3309.03 (100.00%) 3108.00 (100.00%) 2853.80 (100.00%) 2781.40 (100.00%) 3272.04 (100.00%) 1640.27 (100.00%)

Sugarcane bagasse Cotton stalk Pearl millet stalk Wheat straw Groundnut shell Mustard Stalk Dry leaves

714.18 (21.58%) 999.25 (32.15%) 1187.00 (41.59%) 632.52 (22.75%) 1345.34 (41.11%) 421.13 (25.68%)

483.33 657.53 (14.61%) (19.87%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 598.92 (19.27%) 352.40 (12.35%) 157.45 (5.66%) 605.99 (18.52%) 589.74 (35.96%)

* small scale trials,

** very small scale trials, further work continuing

Continue.
Feed-stocks Fixed cost of Briquetting machine Sieving in Rs/tonne Cost of raw Total cost of material briquetting in including raw Cutting of Shredd-ing Grinding Actual Total Rs/tonne material branches Briquetting Operat-ing in Rs/tonne / chopping cost When Briquetting Machine is running in two shifts per day (16hrs) Drying
0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 227.50 (8.55%) 227.50 (7.71%) 227.50 (8.72%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 483.33 (16.37%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 701.57 (26.38%) 657.53 (22.27%) 598.92 (22.96%) 352.40 (15.59%) 157.45 (6.41%) 605.99 (23.31%) 589.74 (41.25%) 203.64 (11.56%) 300.40 (11.29%) 176.49 (5.98%) 232.62 (8.92%) 264.40 (11.70%) 153.93 (6.27%) 270.71 (10.41%) 104.40 (7.30%) 232.89 (13.22%) 1229.47 (46.23%) 1544.85 (52.33%) 1059.04 (40.60%) 614.80 (27.29%) 311.38 (12.68%) 876.70 (33.72%) 694.14 (48.55%) 1260 (71.55%) 840 (31.59%) 1050 (35.57%) 1050 (40.25%) 1050 (46.45%) 1837.50 (74.85%) 1050.00 (40.40%) 525.00 (36.72%) 1761.03 (100.00%) 2659.39 (100.00%) 2951.94 (100.00%) 2608.66 (100.00%) 2260.30 (100.00%) 2454.97 (100.00 %) 2599.37 (100.00 %) 1429.70 (100.00%)

Operating Cost

in Rs/tonne

Saw dust Sugarcane bagasse Cotton stalk Pearl millet stalk Wheat straw Groundnut shell Mustard Stalk Dry leaves

268.14 (15.23%) 589.92 (22.18%) 357.09 (12.10%) 499.62 (19.15%) 593.50 (26.26%) 306.09 (12.47%) 672.67 (25.88%) 210.57 (14.73%)

29.25 (1.66%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%) 0.00 (0%)

Use of Cotton Stalk briquettes in an open core gasifier at SPRERI

A 2,50,000 Kcal/h SPRERI Design Open Core Gasifier installed in an industry using Wood and Crop Residues Briquettes as feedstock

Combustion Studies of Crop Residue Pellets in two different types of Cook Stoves

Jatropha Shell Briquettes

800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

Saw Dust Briquettes Sugarcane Baggase Briquettes Cotton Stalk Briquettes Pearl M illet Briquettes Rice Straw Powder Briquettes Wheat Straw powder Briquettes

ENERGETICS OF BRIQUETTING CROP RESIDUES AND OTHER BIOMASS FOR ENERGY PURPOSES Energetics of using crop residue and other biomass briquettes for energy purposes, both, thermal and power shows that

The total energy used in baling, transport of crop residues, drying, grinding and actual briquetting comes to about 8.35-10.96 % of the electrical energy which could be produced from that crop residue. For thermal purposes these figures will be only about 2.082.74%. If instead of crop residues, saw dust or groundnut shells are used as biomass, in which case energy for baling and grinding will not be required, these figures will be about 7.26- 9.59% and 1.30-2.05% respectively.

Time, (min)

Variation in flame temperature of briquettes of different biomass with respect to time

ISSUES INVOLVED IN PROMOTION OF BRIQUETTING TECHNOLOGY Need for reliable assessment of annual availability of crop and agro-processing waste in different regions and seasons. Need of efficient machines for harvesting, retrieval, densification, fortification, handling, transport and storage of crop and agro-processing residues. Reliable assessment of availability of surpluses in different regions and seasons. Efficient machines for briquetting of low density (0.40.7 gm/cm3) and high density (11.2 gm/cm3 ) briquettes, with and without binder. - High density, binder less briquetting/ pelleting for energy purposes 20 mm90 mm diameter for boilers, gasifiers - Low density briquetting with and without binder for cook stoves, animal feed

Continue.. Transport of crop and agro-processing residue to the briquetting plant, in loose form is expensive. Preparation of feedstock should be done in production catchments. Raw material cost is about 4075% of the cost of briquettes and hence availability of raw material at cheaper cost will bring down the selling cost of briquettes. For operation of a briquetting machine of 500 kg/h capacity running in 2 shifts (16 h/day) and operating for about 300 days/year, about 2400 tonnes of raw material will be required. If the briquetting plant is installed in production catchments and collection centers are established in a cluster of few villages, the farmers/ landless labourers are expected to supply biomass in small quantities, which will ensure regular supply of different types of biomass to the briquetting plant.

MARKET POTENTIAL OF BRIQUETTING OF CROP AND AGRO-PROCESSING RESIDUES

Briquetting of crop residues including cotton stalks, has very good market potential in India. The need is to properly harvest the crop, retrieve the crop residues, process them into proper feedstock suitable for briquetting, transport the feedstock to the briquetting plant and prepare briquettes of different sizes for different purposes. For operation of a briquetting machine of 500 kg/h capacity running in 2 shifts (16 h/day) and operating for about 300 days/year, about 2400 tonnes of raw material will be required. For one million tonnes of crop residues, about 400 briquetting plants of 500 kg/h capacity would be needed, operating 2 shifts per day. For briquetting 11.8 to 13 million tonnes of surplus cotton stalk and 100-125 million tonnes of total surplus crop residues about 4160 to 5200 and 40,000 to 50,000 briquetting plants of 500 kg/h capacity would be required. Incase of cotton stalk, the entire stalk with dried leaves and branches can be utilized for briquetting where as for making particle board or Nu-wood only the hardy portion of the stalk is used.

Continue The briquetting plants need to be installed in production catchments to convert the surplus biomass into value added products like densified animal feed and good quality fuel for domestic and industrial purposes. Will reduce environmental pollution caused due to burning and rotting of surplus crop residues/ biomass, dry leaves and road side weeds and shrubs on one hand and felling of forest trees for fire wood on the other hand. One kg of briquettes can generate about 1kWh of electrical energy through gasification route. If all the 100-125 million tonnes of surplus crop residues are used for power generation it has a potential of generating about 100-125 billion units of electrical energy valued at Rs 500- 625 billion annually at the rate of Rs 5.00 per unit. About 11.8 million tonnes of surplus cotton stalks has a potential of generating electricity worth about 59 billion Rs. annually. About 3.5 to 4 kg of crop residue briquettes replaces one kg of LDO or diesel used for thermal application or for power generation. Thus about 11.8-13 million tonnes of cotton stalks briquettes have potential of replacing the requirement of LDO or diesel by about 2.95 to 3.37 million tonnes annually worth Rs 10.6-12.13 billion, at present price level.

The above examples show that there is very good potential of utilizing crop and agro-processing residues/ wastes for various purposes. The need is to promote the briquetting technology of crop and agro-processing residues by creating awareness and giving incentives for its promotion.

The Central and State Governments and other organisations like ICAC, CFC, progressive industries etc. should give encouragement to this technology.

SCREW PRESS TYPE Material is fed continuously into a screw which forces the material into a cylindrical die, which is often heated to 250-300C to raise the temperature to the point where lignin starts flowing. Pressure builds up smoothly. Briquettes are often of high quality than pistonpress unit but the power requirement per tonne of briquette produced is also high. Briquettes produced by this machine have a hole in the center which makes it burn quickly. The wear and tear of screw is very high and requires frequent reconditioning.

Performance of Briquetting Machine on Different Feedstocks

Sl. Feedstock Moisture No Content % Output of Energy used True Bulk the in density of density briquetting briquetting briquette of kWh/t gm/cc feedstock machine kg/h kg/m3 240.00 618.83 43.00 1.14 133.00 232.72 48.77 1.10 226.27 50.26 (Chopped straw) 112.94 (Powder) 50.26 (Chopped straw) 112.94 (Powder) 93.60 (Chopped stalk) 145.47 (Powder) 287.66 413.70 35.24 1.10 Bulk density of briquettes kg/m3 615 675 631.33 Extent of densification % 479 827 491 2520 39.40 1.26 1115 248.49 52.89 0.95 591.07 1684 as loose straw 805 as powder 1075.53 as chopped stalk 675 as powder 348.40 Good and firm Quality of briquettes

1 2 3 4

Sawdust Sugarcane bagasse Cotton stalk Rice straw

10.10 7.57 7.44 7.28

Good and firm Good and firm Good and firm

Wheat straw

4.59

Good and firm

Pearl millet stalk

10.60

295.18

46.52

0.98

538.80

Good and firm

Jatropha shell

9.30

619.00

38.77

1.00

684.70

Good and firm

SALIENT FINDINGS OF STUDIES CONDUCTED ON BRIQUETTING CROP AND AGRO PROCESSING RESIDUES AT SPRERI

Saw dust, sugarcane bagasse, cotton stalk, pearl millet stalk, rice straw, wheat straw, groundnut shell and jatropha shell were used in powder form for briquetting. Good quality briquetts were obtained in all the cases. The output of the machine was better in case of saw dust and jatropha shell as compared to cotton stalk, pearl millet stalk, rice and wheat straw. Grinding of feedstock was done to make it in powder form for briquetting. The cost of preparation of feedstock for briquetting was highest incase of cotton stalk and lowest in saw dust due to the number of operations involved. Moisture content of feedstock had effect on true and bulk densities and quality of briquettes. Moisture content in the range of 811% was found better from the point output and quality of briquettes in case 7 crop residues tried.

Combustion Studies of Pellets in two different types of Cook Stoves

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The cost of briquetting (including fixed cost, feed preparation cost, operational cost, and raw material cost) in case of sawdust, sugarcane baggase, cotton stalk, pearl millet stalk and wheat straw were Rs. 2109, 3431, 3429, 3223 and 3033 per tonne of briquettes, respectively, when the cost was calculated for operation of the briquetting machine in one shift. They were Rs. 1801, 2753, 3019, 2648 and 2352 per tonne of briquettes produced, respectively, when the cost was calculated on the basis of operation of the machine in two shifts. The capacity of the machine was 500 kg/h on saw dust. Cost economic of different sizes of briquetting plants will vary. Bigger capacity plants are more economical as compared to smaller capacity plants. The energy required in briquetting operation alone, incase of saw dust, sugarcane bagasse powder, cotton stalk powder, pearl millet powder and wheat straw powder were 41, 60, 35, 47 and 53 kwh/tonne, respectively and cost as Rs 204, 300, 177, 232.62 and 264 per tonne of briquettes produced, respectively. The energy cost of briquetting was in the range of 5.33 to 11.04 % of the total cost of briquette making for different feedstocks. The cost will be lower in case of bigger capacity machines. Good quality pellets of 22 mm and 10 mm size could be made in the pellet press machine when the feedstock was mixed with more than 50% de-oiled cake on volume basis.

It was safe to store briquettes than the loose biomass as the bio-degradation of loose biomass was faster than their briquettes. The shape of the briquettes were not changed during storage even at 90% RH . In the process of briquetting the bulk densities of briquettes in comparison to the respective feedstock were increased from 2.38 to 11.76 times which was considered advantageous from the point of view of handling, transport and storage of briquettes. Combustion studies of briquettes and pellets, prepared from crop and agroprocessing residues, showed that the briquettes prepared from the feedstock having less ash content could be used in gasifiers without any difficulty. Briquettes and pellets of all the seven types of feedstock studied could be used in improved metal chulha and inverted downdraft gasifier for thermal applications. Energetics of using crop residue briquettes for power generation showed that about 10 to 15% of the energy which could be produced from that residue is utilized in bailing/transport/drying/grinding and actual briquetting. However, for thermal application this figure will be about 5% only. At the prevailing selling prices of briquettes between Rs. 2000-2200/tonne, the return on investment (in case of saw dust briquettes) in smaller capacity machine was between 30-45 % and bigger machine between 75-90% when

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CONCLUSIONS
An analysis of briquetting technology for converting crop and agro-processing residues and other biomass into briquettes of different sizes shows that this technology is quite profitable and have great potential of utilizing in future for animal feed and energy purposes. This can help in converting surplus biomass into good quality animal feed and fuel, both for domestic and industrial purposes. This will reduce environmental pollution caused due to burning and rotting of surplus biomass. The Central and State Governments should give encouragement to this technology.

WHAT CAN BE BRIQUETTED

All crop and agro-processing residues, woody biomass, saw dust from timber mills, dried leaves from orchards, shrubs and grasses along the road sides can be used for briquetting. The problem lies in their collection, drying, handling and transport. Crop residues like rice and wheat straw, cotton stalks and many agro-processing residues are not presently being briquetted and substantial quantities are being burnt in the field for quick disposal in different parts of the country.

AMOUNT OF IMPORTANT CROP AND AGRO-PROCESSING RESIDUES PRODUCED ANNUALLY AND SURPLUS AVAILABLE
Crop Area M ha Total production of main products in M t Estimated byproducts produced in M t Estimated availability of surplus byproducts in M t

IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF BRIQUETTES FOR USE AS FUEL FOR GASIFICATION AND COMBUSTION Biomass having higher lignin content above 12 % are good material for binder-less briquetting. Most of the biomass/crop residues have calorific value in the range of about 35004000 kcal/kg. Briquettes to be used for gasification should have low ash content. combustion, briquettes even with high ash content do not pose any problem. Good quality briquettes should have true density around 1 gm/cc. Briquettes should be strong and should not break easily in handling and transport. It should not absorb much water under high humidity, should not be attacked by insects / pests and could be stored for longer duration, 3-4 years, without any appreciable biodegradation of material. Biomass used for briquetting should have low silica content to avoid excessive abrasion of dies of the briquetting machine. For

Cereals Pulses Oil seeds Cotton Jute & Mesta Sugarcane Potato Onion Coconut Cashew nut

121.91 21.66 22.78 9.10 1.05 4.40 1.22 0.45 1.89 0.77

212.03 13.16 20.80 10.00 (million bales) 10.78 (million bales) 300.10 24.08 4.79 128.00 (million nuts) 0.47

401.02 24.99 27.29 27.30 3.15 84.01 1.22 0.45 7.56 0.47

80.00 10.50 12.50 11.80 1.50 60.00 --5.67 0.30

TOTAL 182.51 577.46 182.27 Note : Area and production levels of main products are for the year 2001-02

RESEARCH GAPS IDENTIFIED AND R&D WORK ON BRIQUETTING AT SPRERI

OBJECTIVES
To generate basic data on characterization and pre-heating of crop residues and to standardize important characteristics of briquettes for use as fuel for gasification and combustion. To generate basic data on design/operating parameters of briquetting machines which effect energy requirement and quality of briquettes and to make necessary modifications in the commercial machines to standardize the design. To produce good quality briquettes of selected crop residues which have the characteristics of fuel and are suitable for gasification and combustion and are also easy to handle, transport and store. Conduct field evaluation of briquettes as fuel for combustion and gasification and work out cost economics and energy analysis.

In the commercial briquetting machines the die is heated to about 250-300 0c through friction or by external source of heating for raising the temperature of the biomass to about 100-120 0c to soften the lignin. Due to excessive friction the power requirement of the briquetting machines are high, wear and tear of the dies are fast (about 200h of work) and the densification of briquettes are not uniform. Crop residues like rice and wheat straw are also not briquetted by these machines. At spreri vallabh vidyanagar, vidyanagar, systematic r&d work is being done on the pre-heating / pre-treatment of biomass, basically with a view to reduce the power requirement of the briquetting machines, have uniform densification of briquettes, reduce the frequency of wear and tear of the dies and to use low lignin and difficult crop residues like rice and wheat straw for briquetting. briquetting.

Characteristics of different crop and agro-processing residues selected for the studies

IDENTIFICATION OF CROP RESIDUES/AGROPROCESSING RESIDUES FOR DENSIFICATION

Straw : Rice and wheat in chopped form Shell : Groundnut and jatropha shell in powder form Husk : Rice husk in powder form Bagasse : Sugarcane bagasse in powder form Saw dust: In powder form

Biomass

Lignin Content %

Bulk density kg/m3

Calorific value Kcal/kg

Ash content %

Volatile matter %

Fixed carbon %

STRAW Rice Wheat SHELL Groundnut shell Jatropha shell HUSK Rice husk BAGASSE Sugarcane 14.84 133.00 4216 3.00 82.00 15.00 17.20 235.00 3437 16.80 67.80 15.40 31.28 11.90 165.00 106.18 4524 3168 3.80 14.88 73.30 68.73 22.90 16.38 12.60 16.97 80.11 80.00 3730 4150 15.50 8.00 68.30 77.30 16.20 14.70

OTHER FEEDSTOCKS Saw dust 39.00 177.00 4463 1.60 82.90 15.50

BRIQUETTING MACHINES COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE IN INDIA

PISTON-RAM PRESS TYPE

SCREW PRESS TYPE

Material is fed into a cylinder which is then compressed by a piston into a slightly tapering die. Diameter of briquettes is proportional to output of the machine. Commercial machines with 0.5-1.5 t/h capacity are available. They produce briquettes in the range of 50-90 mm diameter The power requirement of such briquetting machines vary from 25 kW to 66 kW.

Material is fed continuously into a screw which forces the material into a cylindrical die, which is often heated to 250-300C to raise the temperature to the point where lignin starts flowing. Pressure builds up smoothly. Briquettes are often of high quality than pistonpress unit but the power requirement per tonne of briquette produced is also high. Briquettes produced by this machine have a hole in the center which makes it burn quickly. The wear and tear of screw is very high and requires frequent reconditioning.

PELLET PRESS TYPE

These machines operate by extruding small diameter (10-30 mm) pellets through a die, which has many holes. The extruding mechanism is often 2 or 3 eccentric rollers, which move inside a large cylinder or conical die. The material to be pelletised is fed in the cylinder and when the rollers ride over this material and rotate, they push the material through holes in the die against resistance from pellets already formed in the die holes. Pellets are less harder than briquettes.
Piston-ram press and pellet press type briquetting machines

Preparation of Feed Stock for Briquetting

Following feed parameters influence the process of briquetting :

PARTICLE SIZE AND SHAPE : In small size machines (50 mm dia briquette) for best results the particle size of biomass material should be about 6-8 mm size with 10-20% powdery component. In bigger size machines (90 mm size briquettes) particle size even upto 20-25 mm could be used. Larger size particles are not conveyed through properly by the screw conveyer and start accumulating at entry point, resulting into jamming of the machine and lump formation. Grinding of material to smaller sizes is necessary.

MOISTURE CONTENT :

Moisture content of the feed material should be between 10-12 %. At this moisture content the machine runs smoothly, the briquettes are strong and without cracks. At higher moisture content briquettes are weak and machine operation is erratic. Excess steam formation also occurs which blocks the flow of incoming material. If the moisture content of the feed stock is high, it should be dried using flash dryer or in open sun. If the moisture content is too low, the power requirement increases, the output decreases and the quality of briquettes is also not very good.

TEMPERATURE OF BIOMASS DURING BRIQUETTING :

Complete set of machines required for briquetting

1.

Briquette density, its crushing strength and moisture stability can be varied by varying the temperature of biomass. Heating of biomass makes the lignin softer thereby reducing the resistance to briquetting, briquetting, results in decrease in specific power requirement, higher outputs, less wear and tear of dies. In commercial machines the heat is developed due to internal and external friction. Lignin becomes softer at a temperature of about 110c and on applying pressure helps in binderless briquetting. briquetting. The die temperature should be kept between 250-290c.

Briquetting press / pellet press of desired capacity, complete with feed material conveying screw. Biomass grinding unit of matching capacity with feeding screw. A dryer for drying the feed material. Normally a flash dryer is used in which hot gases upto 200-300c are passed. The moisture is reduced by 10-12% just in few seconds. Sieve shaker for sieving the bigger size feed stocks and extraneous materials. Storage bins or sufficient covered space for keeping the feed stock and briquettes produced by the machine.

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4.

5.

USE OF BRIQUETTES FOR ENERGY PURPOSES

COST ECONOMICS OF BRIQUETTING

Cost comparison of two sizes of briquetting plants
Briquetting plant 500 kg/h capacity Assumptions Daily working hours in 2 shifts Annual use Capacity utilization Electrical power connection Annual production in tonnes Life of machine/shed etc. Cost of briquetting machine and feedstock grinder including installation, commissioning, electrical load, cabling, control panel, shed, office space etc. Working capital A) annual fixed cost i) depreciation 5%/year Rs. Rs. Rs. Rs. Rs. 55,000 66,000 42,000 55,000 55,000 Rs. 1,10,000 Rs. 1,32,000 Rs. Rs. Rs. 120,000 1,10,000 1,10,000 Cont. ii) interest on capital @ 12 % 16 h 300 days 80 % 45 kw 1920 tonne 20 years Rs. 11,00,000 16 h 300 days 80% 70 kw 5760 tonnes 20 years Rs. 22,00,000 of Briquetting plant 1500 kg/h capacity. of

Briquettes can be used in boilers, gasifiers, gasifiers, furnaces and domestic cook stoves for thermal applications. For domestic cook stoves 12-25 mm diameter briquettes are more suitable. For other purposes 50-60 mm size briquettes are preferred. Briquettes of 60-90 mm size are being used in big boilers and gasifiers. gasifiers. Producer gas obtained from briquette based gasifiers after cooling and cleaning of tar + dust can be used for running 100% gas operated electric generating sets. On an average 1 kg biomass briquette can produce 1 kwh of power.

Rs. 3,50,000

Rs. 10,00,000

iii) annual interest on working capital @12% iv) housing 5 % v) repair & maintenance 5%

vi)

Overheads

vii) fixed cost/tonne B) operating cost Electricity (drying, grinding + briquetting) Raw material- rs.1,000/tonne Wastage of raw material 5% Total fixed and operating cost of production/tonne Selling price Annual profit
I)When selling price is Rs 1800/t II)When selling price is Rs 1900/t III)When selling price is Rs 2000/t

Wages of operators(2), electrician-cummechanic (1), helper/ labourers (8) and overheads @ Rs 35,000/month Rrs. Rrs . 4,20,000 Rs 360.94 60 kwh/t Rs 300/t Rs 1050/t Rs 1710.98/t Rs 1800-2000/t Rs 1,70,918.40 Rs 3,62,918.40 Rs 5,54,918.40 11.78% 25.03% 38.27%

Wages of manager(1), operators(2),electriciancum-mechanic(1),helper /labourers (12) and overheads @ Rs 60,000/month Rrs 7,70,000 Rs 226.04 50 kwh/t Rs 250/t Rs 1050/t Rs 1526.04/t Rs 1800-2000/t Rs 15,78,009.60 Rs 21,54,009.60 Rs 27,30,009.60 49.31% 67.31% 85.31%

Return on investment (total cost of plant and machinery + working capital) I) when selling price is Rs 1800/t Ii) when selling price is Rs 1900/t Iii)when selling price is Rs 2000/t

The bigger size plants are more profitable. The cost of biomass is about 60-70 % of the cost of production of briquettes. Any appreciable increase in the price of biomass will greatly influence the selling price and profitability of the whole system. The briquetting plants should be setup in the areas where feedstocks are available in plenty at reasonable prices and t t ti i i l

BINDERLESS BRIQUETTING MACHINES COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE IN INDIA PISTON-RAM PRESS TYPE Material is fed into a cylinder which is then compressed by a piston into a slightly tapering die. Diameter of briquettes is proportional to output of the machine. Commercial machines with 0.5-1.5 t/h capacity are available. They produce briquettes in the range of 50-90 mm diameter The power requirement of such briquetting machines vary from 25 kW to 66 kW.

PELLET PRESS TYPE These machines operate by extruding small diameter (10-30 mm) pellets through a die, which has many holes. The extruding mechanism is often 2 or 3 eccentric rollers, which move inside a large cylinder or conical die. The material to be pelletised is fed in the cylinder and when the rollers ride over this material and rotate, they push the material through holes in the die against resistance from pellets already formed in the die holes. Pellets are less harder than briquettes.

SAW DUST

SUGARCANE BAGGASE POWDER

LOOSE SUGARCANE BAGGASE

GROUNDNUT SHELL POWDER

JATROPHA SHELL POWDER

50 % RICE HUSK POWDER + 50 % SAW DUST

Piston Press Type Briquetting Machine

CHOPPED RICE STRAW CHOPPED WHEAT STRAW

Different Types of Feedstock Used For Briquetting

BALANCED RATION ESSENTIAL FOR MORE PRODUCTIVITY

30 to 50 % is Roughage fodder, straw, hay, silage, Brans, Cakes, meals, Grains, Chunies, any food industry waste etc, Molasses, Minerals
NDDBs Experience Cost of enriched straw pellets Ex works is about Rs 5 to 6 per kg packed in 30 kg HDPE bags About 3000 milch animals are served with 30 TPD Approximately 3000 liters per day incremental milk. Value Rs 45000 per day Straw dose ranges between 25 to 60 % in TMR One metric ton of stored TMR Pellets can save two cows of value Rs 50000 during calamity

PERFORMANCE OF BRIQUETTING PLANT AT SPRERI

OUTPUT OF THE BRIQUETTING MACHINE ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF FEEDSTOCK
Feed- stock Bulk density gm/cc Average moisture content ,% Average output kg/h Quality of briquettes Density of briquettes, gm/cc Extent of densification %

Saw dust Saw dust Saw dust Saw dust B a g a s s e powder Groundnut shell powder Jatropha shell powder C h o p p e d wheat straw Chopped rice straw Saw dust and rice husk powder (50:50 ratio)

0.238 0.237 0.251 0.237 0.133 0.264 0.266 0.066 0.068 0.278

12.56 (11.1514.36) 8.22 (8.10 8.34) 28.98 (28.58 29.37) 9.53 (9.39 9.67) 8.22 (8.10 8.34) 9.39 (9.02-9.76) 11.86 (11.48-12.25) 6.54 (6.50- 6.58) 13.51 (13.44-13.58) 10.25 (10.32-10.18)

626.67 600.91 635.25 612.50 240-300 500* 600* ** ** **

Good and firm Good and firm Good and firm* Good and firm Good and firm Good and firm Good and firm Good and firm Good and firm Good and firm

1.14 1.10 1.12 1.12 1.10 1.21 0.97 1.27 1.29 1.21

479 464 446 472 827 458 365 1924 1897 435

* small scale trials,

** very small scale trials, further work continuing

TOTAL ANNUAL AVAILABILITY OF AGRICULURAL WASTE

Sr. No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Source Crop and agro-processing residues Road side waste Waste from Waste lands Forest waste Dung livestock Poultry droppings Fisheries waste Total In Million Tonnes 577.46 10.74 27.12 157.18 267.76 4.81 5.00 1050.07

Out of the annual production of about 577.46 MT crop and agro-processing residues about 100-125 MT are available as surplus.