Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012
Abstract
activities carried out by the Centre for Energy and
Environment Nepal (CEEN) under the project
“Production
wastes as substitute for fuel wood in domestic and industrial
sector of Nepal
managed by Renewable Nepal Programme of Kathmandu
University and S
traditional fuel resources such as fuel wood, agro
animal dung, which meet over 88% of the energy demand. To
relieve the pressure on these traditional fuels, biomass
briquetting was introduced in Ne
promising technology to produce briquette fuels. These
industries could not survive because of technical as well as
marketing problems. During those days,
by those industries were very costly and complicated.
includes equipment for drying the raw material and
transporting system as well. This package requires a big space
for installation and operation. Further the screw of the
briquetting system wears out very quickly due to the abrasive
nature of the raw m
ash. A comparative study of the production of rice husk
briquettes from the Taiwanese machine with that of the simple
extruder type of briquetting unit modified by the project is
presented.8
Index terms:
briquetting machine
HEPI Briquette Udhyog Pvt. Ltd. is the only surviving briquette industry in Nepal which was
established in 2050 B.been continuously producing the rice huskeight briquetting units/ machines briquette lowered. The Industry has been operating only two extruder units/machine at present.
Fig. 1: Layout of the Mhepi Briquette Industries Pvt Ltd,
* Corresponding a
M
Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012
Screw Extruder
Abstract —The paper describes an ongoing research
activities carried out by the Centre for Energy and
Environment Nepal (CEEN) under the project
of biomass briquetted fuel based on agro
wastes as substitute for fuel wood in domestic and industrial
sector of Nepal” ID: RENP
managed by Renewable Nepal Programme of Kathmandu
University and SINTEF, Norway. Nepal still relies heavily on
traditional fuel resources such as fuel wood, agro
animal dung, which meet over 88% of the energy demand. To
relieve the pressure on these traditional fuels, biomass
briquetting was introduced in Ne
promising technology to produce briquette fuels. These
industries could not survive because of technical as well as
marketing problems. During those days,
by those industries were very costly and complicated.
includes equipment for drying the raw material and
transporting system as well. This package requires a big space
for installation and operation. Further the screw of the
briquetting system wears out very quickly due to the abrasive
nature of the raw material rice husk containing more than 19%
ash. A comparative study of the production of rice husk
briquettes from the Taiwanese machine with that of the simple
extruder type of briquetting unit modified by the project is
Index terms: rice husk, fuel briquettes, screw extruder,
briquetting machine
I.
HEPI Briquette Udhyog Pvt. Ltd. is the only surviving briquette industry in Nepal which was
established in 2050 B. S. been continuously producing the rice huskeight briquetting units/ machines briquette lowered. The Industry has been operating only two extruder units/machine
Layout of the Mhepi Briquette Industries Pvt Ltd, Nawal
* Corresponding author: [email protected]
Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012
Screw Extruder Mridaney S
The paper describes an ongoing research
activities carried out by the Centre for Energy and
Environment Nepal (CEEN) under the project
of biomass briquetted fuel based on agro
wastes as substitute for fuel wood in domestic and industrial
” ID: RENP-10-06-172 funded by NORAD and
managed by Renewable Nepal Programme of Kathmandu
INTEF, Norway. Nepal still relies heavily on
traditional fuel resources such as fuel wood, agro
animal dung, which meet over 88% of the energy demand. To
relieve the pressure on these traditional fuels, biomass
briquetting was introduced in Nepal in early 1980’s as a
promising technology to produce briquette fuels. These
industries could not survive because of technical as well as
marketing problems. During those days,
by those industries were very costly and complicated.
includes equipment for drying the raw material and
transporting system as well. This package requires a big space
for installation and operation. Further the screw of the
briquetting system wears out very quickly due to the abrasive
aterial rice husk containing more than 19%
ash. A comparative study of the production of rice husk
briquettes from the Taiwanese machine with that of the simple
extruder type of briquetting unit modified by the project is
husk, fuel briquettes, screw extruder,
I. INTRODUCTION
HEPI Briquette Udhyog Pvt. Ltd. is the only surviving briquette industry in Nepal which was
in Kawasoti, Nawalparasi and has been continuously producing the rice huskeight briquetting units/ machines briquette lowered. The Industry has been operating only two extruder units/machine
Layout of the Mhepi Briquette Industries Pvt Ltd, Nawalparasi
Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012
Screw Extruder Mridaney S. Poudel, Krishna R
The paper describes an ongoing research
activities carried out by the Centre for Energy and
Environment Nepal (CEEN) under the project
of biomass briquetted fuel based on agro-
wastes as substitute for fuel wood in domestic and industrial
172 funded by NORAD and
managed by Renewable Nepal Programme of Kathmandu
INTEF, Norway. Nepal still relies heavily on
traditional fuel resources such as fuel wood, agro-residues and
animal dung, which meet over 88% of the energy demand. To
relieve the pressure on these traditional fuels, biomass
pal in early 1980’s as a
promising technology to produce briquette fuels. These
industries could not survive because of technical as well as
marketing problems. During those days, the technologies used
by those industries were very costly and complicated.
includes equipment for drying the raw material and
transporting system as well. This package requires a big space
for installation and operation. Further the screw of the
briquetting system wears out very quickly due to the abrasive
aterial rice husk containing more than 19%
ash. A comparative study of the production of rice husk
briquettes from the Taiwanese machine with that of the simple
extruder type of briquetting unit modified by the project is
husk, fuel briquettes, screw extruder,
NTRODUCTION
HEPI Briquette Udhyog Pvt. Ltd. is the only surviving briquette industry in Nepal which was
Kawasoti, Nawalparasi and has been continuously producing the rice husk briquette. It ran eight briquetting units/ machines briquette lowered. The Industry has been operating only two extruder units/machine
Layout of the Mhepi Briquette Industries Pvt Ltd,
Mridaney S. Poudel
Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012
Screw Extruder Biomass BriquettingPoudel, Krishna R. Shrestha
The paper describes an ongoing research
activities carried out by the Centre for Energy and
Environment Nepal (CEEN) under the project entitled
- forestry
wastes as substitute for fuel wood in domestic and industrial
172 funded by NORAD and
managed by Renewable Nepal Programme of Kathmandu
INTEF, Norway. Nepal still relies heavily on
residues and
animal dung, which meet over 88% of the energy demand. To
relieve the pressure on these traditional fuels, biomass
pal in early 1980’s as a
promising technology to produce briquette fuels. These
industries could not survive because of technical as well as
the technologies used
by those industries were very costly and complicated. It
includes equipment for drying the raw material and
transporting system as well. This package requires a big space
for installation and operation. Further the screw of the
briquetting system wears out very quickly due to the abrasive
aterial rice husk containing more than 19%
ash. A comparative study of the production of rice husk
briquettes from the Taiwanese machine with that of the simple
extruder type of briquetting unit modified by the project is
husk, fuel briquettes, screw extruder,
HEPI Briquette Udhyog Pvt. Ltd. is the only surviving briquette industry in Nepal which was
Kawasoti, Nawalparasi and has briquette. It ran
eight briquetting units/ machines briquette lowered. The Industry has been operating only two extruder units/machine
Layout of the Mhepi Briquette Industries Pvt Ltd,
shed to house it. In addition to the cost of plant machinery and equipment, this increases the establishment cost of the industry, making
Some Details of the Industry
M
Shed area and size
Production capacity
Briquetting Plant cost
Power for briquette
Mridaney S. Poudel
Biomass BriquettingShrestha* and Ramesh M
The existing plant requires a big plot of land and big shed to house it. In addition to the cost of plant machinery and equipment, this increases the establishment cost of the industry, making
Some Details of the Industry
MAJOR TECHNICAL
Name of Factory (Location)
Owner Land area
Shed area and size
Production capacity (nominal)
Operation hoursOrigin of plant/
machinery Raw material
Briquetting Plant costManpower
No of briquette extruders
Heating of die
Power for briquette extruder
Other powerInitiatives from
owner
Fig. 2: Production of RH Briquettes to Heat the Die (Electric
Mridaney S. Poudel et al.: Screw Extruder
Biomass Briquettingand Ramesh M. Singh
The existing plant requires a big plot of land and big shed to house it. In addition to the cost of plant machinery and equipment, this increases the establishment cost of the industry, making briquetting business very expensive.
Some Details of the Industry
TABLE
ECHNICAL COMPONENTS
OF MATERIALS
Name of Factory
Mhepi Briquette Udhyog Pvt Ltd, Kawasoti, Shiva Mandir
Shed area and size
Production capacity
About 4.8 tons per shift average
Operation hours Origin of plant/
Raw material Rice husk, present cost of rice
Briquetting Plant cost ~USD 50,000.00 (1987 Skilled labour
No of briquette
8 (4 Taiwan made 4 Nepali Made)
Heating of die Originally Electric (4x3.4 kW), later
Power for briquette 4x 15HP (4x 15 horse power motors)
Other power Initiatives from Tried briquette production with square
die for better packing and delivery
Production of RH Briquettes to Heat the Die (Electric Heaters Removed)
Screw Extruder Biomass Briquetting
Biomass Briquetting . Singh
The existing plant requires a big plot of land and big shed to house it. In addition to the cost of plant machinery and equipment, this increases the establishment cost of the
briquetting business very expensive.
Some Details of the Industry
ABLE I OMPONENTS, POWER CONSUMPTION AND
ATERIALS
Mhepi Briquette Udhyog Pvt Ltd, Kawasoti, Shiva Mandir
Mr Surendra Gorkhali2.5 ropani
>2800 sq ft
About 4.8 tons per shift average
One shift = 8hrsTaiwan made
Rice husk, present cost of rice 6 /kg
~USD 50,000.00 (1987Skilled labour-2, non
administration8 (4 Taiwan made 4 Nepali Made)
Originally Electric (4x3.4 kW), later briquettes were used
4x 15HP (4x 15 horse power motors)
See diagram belowTried briquette production with square
die for better packing and delivery
Production of RH Briquettes to Heat the Die (Electric Heaters Removed)
Biomass Briquetting
The existing plant requires a big plot of land and big shed to house it. In addition to the cost of plant machinery and equipment, this increases the establishment cost of the
briquetting business very expensive.
ONSUMPTION AND F
Mhepi Briquette Udhyog Pvt Ltd, Kawasoti, Shiva Mandir-3, Nawalparasi.
Surendra Gorkhali 2.5 ropani
>2800 sq ft
About 4.8 tons per shift average
One shift = 8hrs Taiwan made
Rice husk, present cost of rice husk = Rs 6 /kg
~USD 50,000.00 (1987-88 price)2, non-skilled-3,
administration-1 8 (4 Taiwan made 4 Nepali Made)
Originally Electric (4x3.4 kW), later were used
4x 15HP (4x 15 horse power motors)
See diagram below Tried briquette production with square
die for better packing and delivery
Production of RH Briquettes to Heat the Die (Electric
Biomass Briquetting
27
The existing plant requires a big plot of land and big shed to house it. In addition to the cost of plant machinery and equipment, this increases the establishment cost of the
FLOW
Mhepi Briquette Udhyog Pvt Ltd, 3, Nawalparasi.
About 4.8 tons per shift average
husk = Rs
88 price) 3,
8 (4 Taiwan made 4 Nepali Made)
Originally Electric (4x3.4 kW), later
4x 15HP (4x 15 horse power motors)
Tried briquette production with square die for better packing and delivery
Production of RH Briquettes to Heat the Die (Electric
Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012
II. P
Moisture problem
(required moisture content is ~10 %)
Wearing of screw (screw gets worn out after 4
Hard facing rods not available freely
(Indian rods)
technology and plant (Taiwanese technology cost ~US$50,000)
Size of plant is big (requires big land & huge amount of
Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012
PROBLEMS OF
PROBLEMS OF
Problem
Moisture problem in rice husk
(required moisture content is ~10 %)
Wearing of screw (screw gets worn out after 4-5 hrs)
Hard facing rods not available freely
(Indian rods) High cost of
technology and plant (Taiwanese technology cost ~US$50,000)
Size of plant is big (requires big land & huge amount of
space )
Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012
ROBLEMS OF RICE HUSK
TABLE
ROBLEMS OF RICE HUSK B
Effect
1. Smooth production not possible.
2. Production with explosions
3. Deformed briquettes
1. Briquette production stops
1. Always dependant on contact person
1. Complex technology requiring big investment
2. Production cost high
3. Difficult to payback bank loan
4. No subsidy or incentives
1. Cost of land & industrial shed increases
2. Manpower requirement increases
Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012
Fig. 3
USK BRIQUETTE
ABLE II BRIQUETTE PRODUCTION
Effect Request/Remarks of
Smooth production not possible. Production with
1. Any possibility of preheating of rice husk to control moisture.
2. Simplemeasure moisture
Briquette production stops
1. Technique or technology to increase life of screw
Always dependant on contact person
1. Alternative materials
requiring big
Production cost
payback bank loan No subsidy or
1. Cheap and simple technology
2. Subsidy andincentives
3. Market support & protection from govt
Cost of land & industrial shed
requirement
1. Simple cheaper affordable technology
2. Simply operable technology
Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012
3: Schematic Diagram with Technical Detail
RIQUETTE PRODUCTION
RODUCTION
Request/Remarks of Ind. partner
Any possibility of preheating of rice husk to control moisture. Simple equipment to measure moisture Technique or technology to increase life of screw
Alternative materials
Cheap and simple technology Subsidy and tax incentives Market support & protection from govt
Simple cheaper affordable technology Simply operable technology
Mridaney S. Poudel
Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012
Schematic Diagram with Technical Detail
RODUCTION
Request/Remarks of
equipment to
Alternative materials
protection from govt
Temperature adjustment of
combustion chamber for die heating
(Electric heaters for die removed because
of high cost)No stable
briquettes
High power consumption
Source:
Mridaney S. Poudel et al.
Schematic Diagram with Technical Details
Temperature adjustment of
combustion chamber for die heating
(Electric heaters for die removed because
of high cost) No stable Market for
briquettes
High power consumption
1
Annual Technical Report, for illustration purposes only
Fig. 4: Production Stops when Screw is Worn Out
et al.: Screw Extruder
s
1. Non-uniformity in
product 2. Pollution from
combustion
1. Reduction in production
2. No security of market
1. High cost of production
Annual Technical Report, for illustration purposes only
Production Stops when Screw is Worn Out
Screw Extruder Biomass Briquetting
uniformity in
Pollution from
1. System to control ToC
2. Mechanism to control pollution
No security of
3. Support in Market protection
4. Subsidy & promotion from govt
1. How to reduce
Annual Technical Report, for illustration purposes only
Production Stops when Screw is Worn Out
Biomass Briquetting
28
System to control
Mechanism to control pollution
Support in Market protection Subsidy & promotion from govt
How to reduce
power
Annual Technical Report, for illustration purposes only
Production Stops when Screw is Worn Out
Biomass Briquetting
Mridaney S. Poudel et al.: Screw Extruder Biomass Briquetting
Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012 29
Other problem related information
• The factory has production capacity of 4.8 tons per day /shift, but presently it is producing only 1.5 ton/day. A ton of rice husk can produce 650 kgs rice husk briquette. The price of briquette is Rs.16.00/kg. The machine is operated 8hrs/day with six staffs.
• The life of screw extruder life is very short. The screw wears out within 4-5 hours and needs to be repaired by hard facing welding rods of Indian origin. The brand name and the composition are not known as it is supplied on personal basis. It is believed to be a product of Larsen and Toubro, India.
• Even new screws needs repairing within 4-5 hours of operation. A screw could be repaired 8 to 9 times only and needs replacement in a month
TABLE III SOME COMPARATIVE DATA OF DIFFERENT FACTORIES (VISITED FOR STUDY)
Parameters/Name Ayesha Bikolpa Jalani, Daulatpur, Khulna
Tanvir Hasan Briquette factory
Mhepi Briquette Udyog, Nepal
Remarks/ conclusions
Established 2003 BS 2050 Rate of production 80kg/hr 80-90kg/hr 4 tons/shift Production is higher
because briquetting units are more
No of workers 3 persons: 1man permanent +1woman – daily wages +1 welder- repair of screws)
3 persons (same) man-Tks 6000/month Woman-3400/month
6 persons (2 skilled, 3 non-skilled & 1 admin staff, (welder- Rs 10,000/m)
Manpower cost is higher for Nepali industry, so cost of production will be higher
No of briquetting units 2 units 2 units 8 units Most of the time 2 units only operate in Nepali industry
Established 2003 BS 2050 Rate of production 80kg/hr 80-90kg/hr 4 tons/shift Production is higher
because briquetting units are more
Cost of one unit Takas 50,000.-/unit Takas 50,000/unit 4 Taiwan units US$ ~50,000/
Technology is very expensive in case of Nepali industry
TABLE IV
WORKSHOP CAPABILITY IN SCREW DIE FABRICATION IN NEPAL AND BANGLADESH
Parameters Rupali Engg works Ayub Ali Engineering works In Nepal (no specific workshops)
Cost of screw Tks2500/pc (Screw made from single rod)
Tks 1500/pc (Screw flight is welded to a rod)
~Rs 5000-8000.00
Cost of die Tks 700/pc Tks 700/pc ~Rs 5000.00 Time to make screw 6-8 hrs 3 hrs One day Time to make die (taper is 6 degrees)
1-2 hrs (Die made from readymade forms)
1.5 hrs (Die made from readymade forms)
Min 1 week
Pitch of screw 40 40 As per order Length of die 10.5 inches 10.5 inches As per order
Remarks
1. In Bangladesh there are many industries so there are many workshops serving these industries. Cost and time for making dies and screws is well established.
2. The capability of workshops is well developed and the products are cheap. In Nepal there are no particular workshops to serve briquette industries, so the information varies and the products area expensive.
Mridaney S. Poudel et al.: Screw Extruder Biomass Briquetting
Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012 30
Fig. 5: Stock of Unfinished Die/Muff Fig. 6: Making a New Screw from Rod
Fig. 7: Sectional Elevation of Screw Type Briquetting Machine
Mridaney S. Poudel et al.: Screw Extruder Biomass Briquetting
Rentech Symposium Compendium, Volume 1, March 2012 31
III. PROTOTYPE BRIQUETTING UNIT BY CEEN
Based on the knowledge gained from the visits to various organizations/institutions abroad and in Nepal the project came up with a different design of the briquetting unit for the RENP project. The briquetting unit was fabricated in Nepal using the housing unit provided by NAST and the screw and the die brought from Bangladesh. The technical AutoCAD drawing of the unit as well as the screw and the die is provided in Fig. 7. The details and dimensions of the machine will be provided in the final report after registration of the design with the Department of Industries.
Some New Points Taken up in the New Design
• Usually in most briquetting units (in Japan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Mhepi, etc) the Electric motor has been mounted on the top. Because of the vibrations created by the machine, the whole briquetting unit tends to move/shift sideways during briquetting. Because of this the briquetting units has to be fixed to the ground using some concrete and nuts and bolts. The unit thus becomes fixed.
• The electric motor in this design is concealed in the bottom case. It is secure from dust, smoke and pollution. Also it is protected from any water vapour which may accidentally fall on the motor.
• The weight of the motor holds the entire briquetting unit in place as if it fixed with nuts and bolts. This stabilizes the whole briquetting unit from shifting.
• Normally briquetting units use 2 fan belts to transmit the power. This unit has 3 fan belts, which good transmission of power without slipping.
• A temperature controller has been incorporated to the die, so that the temperature of the die during briquetting can be set at a definite value for research purposes.
• Based on the experiences/lessons learnt a 20 HP motor has been used to run the unit.
• Initially 2 collar heaters of 1kW each has been used to heat the die. Normally spiral heaters of high power were found to be used elsewhere.
The briquetting unit has been installed in the NAST biomass workshop for testing.
IV. CONCLUSION
The research output of the project in its first year showed that, rice husk briquetting industries could be run profitably in Nepal, if simple extruder machines are used instead of making huge investment on the import of complicated technology from abroad. Rice husk the basic raw material for briquetting, is very abrasive in nature with over 19 % ash which causes the wearing of the screw. The project is undertaking research to address the technical problem of wearing of the screw by the introduction of new type of spray welding techniques to enhance the life of screw. Further, the project will identify less abrasive and better raw materials including forest waste as alternative to rice husk. The project will fabricate and test heating and cooking devices to use the briquette fuels for domestic and institutional cooking purposes to replace firewood. Tests
of briquettes will also be conducted in different industrial applications to replace firewood where our industrial partner has been constantly promoting its products.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors wish to thank NORAD and Renewable Nepal Programme of Kathmandu University for providing support to CEEN for conducting this research work. The contributions made by its research partner, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and the industry partner, Mhepi Briquette Udyog (P) Ltd and everyone involved in the project is gratefully acknowledged.
REFERENCES
[1] Grover, P.D and Mishra, S.K.,(1995). Proceedings of the International Workshop on Biomass Briquetting, FAO/RWEDP, Bangkok, Thailand.
[2] Moral, N.A,.(2005).Renewable Energy technologies in Asia, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering and technology(KUET), Bangladesh
[3] WECS (2010), Nepal Energy Sector Synopsis Report, Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, Sigh Durbar, Kathmandu.
BIOGRAPHIES
Mridaney Sharma Poudel is a Researcher in the Current project and a Life Member of CEEN.
Krishna Raj Shrestha is Project Leader of the Current project and Chairman of CEEN. Dr. Shrestha is also a Professor at RECAST, Tribhuvan University.
Ramesh Man Singh is a Technical Expert and Senior Advisor to the project and Vice Chairman of CEEN. Dr. Sigh is formerly Chief of Technology Faculty at NAST.