USM R & D 16(2): 85-90 (2008)

ISSN 0302-7937
Design and development of charcoal briquetting machine

Jorelyn F Martin, Razel Mae A Pineda, Johnyver A Manaay,

Sugar Ray A Handa, & Arnulfo B Ocreto

Former BS Agricultural Engineering thesis student and Adviser/Assistant Professor IV,

Department of Agricultural Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing,
University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan, Cotabato, Tel No (63-64) 248-2307

Abstract

The study entitled “Design and development of charcoal briquetting machine” was conducted from September to
November 2006. Percentage of binder solution was determined to test the firmness of charcoal briquettes. Charcoal
briquettes produced from carbonized rice hull and saw dust were also tested through their compaction ratios and also to get
the value of utilized heat produced.

The study focused on the design of briquetting machine and development of charcoal briquettes produced from carbonized
rice hull and sawdust. A production level type of briquetting machine design but in low cost price is efficient could be
developed to transformed agro-waste into fuel briquettes. The % of binder to attain the excellent firmness if briquettes to
complete the utilized eat, getting the compaction ratio of the raw material must be consider to produce a good and usable
charcoal briquettes.

Key words: agricultural machineries, agricultural wastes, energy-saving devices

Introduction dependable market of the briquettes is required to make the

operation profitable.
Environmental issues, present energy crisis, and
inevitability of oil depletion are some of the major Charcoal made up of the modified pit method can be used
aspirations for research and development in the work for in making briquettes. Charcoal briquettes are charcoal dust
alternative fuels. Priority programs continually searching compactly massed by a binder of cassava flour, corn or
for locally available resources especially those that are sweet potato starch. As fuel, charcoal briquettes have the
environment-friendly, economically feasible, and socially higher heating value than wood or plain charcoal. They
acceptable. The use of agricultural waste products is one are almost smokeless when burning and give off intense
of several options for replacing or extending the economic and steady heat. Aside from their used as fuel, charcoal
life of the country’s limited fossil products. briquettes can be converted to other industrial products.
In the chemical industry, they are used in the manufacture
Techniques for the conversion of agricultural wastes and of carbon disulfide, carbon tetrachloride, carbon carbide,
residues into energy commodities are being investigated. sodium cyanide and activated charcoal for purifying air or
One alternative technique is briquetting, a process of water. (http://region 10. dost. gov. ph/technologies/English/
binding together pulverized carbonaceous matter in charcoal. htm).
pressure molds, often with aid of binder. The process of
making briquette usually consists of crushing, screening, Design and concept of briquetting Bowling (1941)
mixing with the binder, and pressing. It is essentially a noted that an understanding of the structure of the material
physical process. Briquetting increases strength, density, and their action under pressure is the basis upon which
handling and transport qualities, and the amount of densification processes are established. Fibrous materials
heat emitted per volume of the biomass. Briquetting is are resilient and elastic that mere pressing is not sufficient
a commercially proven technology in the United States to retain its pressed state.
of European countries. Existing machines however
are capital-intensive and suitable only for large-scale Pressing increases the biomass density and generates
briquette production. They have complicated parts and additional heat that liquefies waxes that cut as additional
accessories and require high power prime movers for their binders when the product is cooked, since most agricultural
operation. Owing to their high production costs, a large waste and residues are light in weight, bulky, irregular
and continuous supply of suitable raw materiais and a in size and shape, and with the relatively high moisture

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content. These materials are reduced to facilitate drying stored and used to supplement the costly fuels, this
and increase bulk density, chemical reaction, heat transfer, burning would be justified. The other alternative is to store
and handling properties. Pressure, heat, moisture, and size these wastes off their derivatives and harness their stored
reduction are therefore necessary in the process of making energy when needed. The heat value for most agricultural
high quality briquettes. In briquetting charcoal, however, wastes and residues ranges between 4,000 to 8,500 Btu/lb
binder must be added since their natural binding substances of dry material and are increased to as high as 13,000
were lost during the charcoal process. (Junge 1981) Btu/lb if transformed into charcoal. This could easily
surpass the 9,000 Btu/lb requirements for coal substitute.
Compaction pressure in existing briquetting machine Heat content and availability — wise their potentials as
The pressing operation is the most important step in alternative energy resource is undisputable. Only, because
making fuel briquettes (Bowling 1941 and Panshin et most agro —waste are not collected on a continuous
al 1950 ).Conventional briquetting machines operate basis throughout the year, consideration for some storage
by impact and direct pressure while the improved ones facilities must be given in order to allow a year-round
operate by gradual and continuous pressure. The latter was operation (PCARRD 1982).
employed in the press - to — tog machine develops by the
Wood briquettes Inc. Levistone, Idaho where densification Carbonization is an important way to change the properties
is done by extrusion. The bulk of ground material that was of bituminous coal to fit the requirements in making
forced into a cylindrical but tapered die opening by a screw briquettes. The technology of carbonization varies with
mechanism was compressed continuously, reducing both the production scale. The sulfur content of fuel wood is
lengths a diameter, as it move along the side. This it hard much less than in coal, thus more sulfur dioxide up to
and firm but consequently require high pressure. (Rodgers 50%. Carbonized briquettes are superior to uncarbonized
1936 and Bowling 1941) briquettes for the reasons that charcoal is preferred to
fuel wood. The sulfur content is also reduced during
Binding materials Biological material contains natural carbonization as the sulfur is converted to hydrogen sulfide
cementing agent which may be pectin substances, liquid gas. (http://www.uleth.Ca/nz/collect/hdl/import/itdgbp/
or other compound, which hold the cells together to itbp/itb2e/itb2le.htm).
form tissues. These substances soften when heated at
low temperature. The effect of adding bonding agent is The objectives of this study were to: develop an efficient
to enhance cohesion and reduce pressure requirements. and production type of briquetting machine made from
Binders hold components by both mechanical and chemical locally available materials; test the performance of the
adhesion. Bonding occurs when the binder molecules machine in terms of the compaction ratio; evaluate the
adhere to specific points in the molecular structure of the firmness of the briquettes; and calculate the heat value of
adherent. A number of binding agent have been tried has the briquettes.
additives in briquetting. One of this is the cassava flour. It
is made of the tropical root crop cassava. The crop is quite Methodology
robust, as it can be relatively easily grown in infertile soil.
When its cooked state, cassava flour makes an excellent Technical description of briquetting machine Details
and combustible binder. The cooked cassava flour will be of the machine are shown in Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Twelve
the glue’ that holds together the charcoal fines. molding cylinder-shaped briquettes were molded in every
This cassava flour has a unique property, such as its high extrusion period. The power needed at high pressure
viscosity and its resistance to freezing, which make it compaction may be supplied by employing additional
competitive with other industrial starches (http://www. manpower to pull down the lever arm.
bpre.gov.ph/PHIndustry/cassava.htm).

Availability of the nature of agro — wastes Agriculture

and forestry activities yearly turn up waste materials. If
converted into fuel or industrial energy, such a volume
will be equivalent to 60 million barrels of imported crude
oil. So far only about 12% of these wastes are utilized for
commercial energy (Terrado 1978). The greater bulk are
scattered all over the countryside. In fact, they present
disposal problems. Large files of wastes and residues left
in the field to decompose also provide excellent breeding
grounds for rats and insects pests. More often than not,
they are disposed of by wasteful burning if the heat
generated by the burning of wastes and residues could be Fig 1. Complete assembly of briquetting machine.

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 Fig 5. The briquetting machine at loading position.
Fig 2. Frame of briquetting machine.
Table 1. Cost of the briquetiing machine

Item Cost

I. Materials
Steel plates/Bars
1 pc. 5/8” x 8” x 101 P 520.00
1 pc. 1/4” x 2.5” x 201 640.00
Round bars
1 pc 1” x 20” 160.00
2 pcs. 2” x 20” 480.00
Angle bar/steel pipe
3 pcs 1/8” x 2” x 201 600.00
1 pc. 2” x 201 1,400.00
Sub total P 3,800.00
II. Labor P 3,500.00

Total Cost P 7, 300.00
Fig 3. Molding Box.
Briquetting procedures

Preparing the materials More than four sacks of rice

hull were collected and two sacks for sawdust (These
were taken from place where it is available). Rice hull
and sawdust served as the materials for briquetting. The
collected saw dust was dried before using.

Carbonizing Rice hull were carbonized by the use of

drum method. The drum had a hole with a tube or chimney,
where smoke was emitted.

Preparing the binder Cassava starch is the recommended

binder because it is available in local markets. The amount
of starch used for carbonized charcoal briquettes was 10%
to 25% of the total weight of the material used. The amount
of water needed to gelatinize the starch ranged from 66%
to 100% of the weight of the raw materials.
Fig 4. Ram rod assembly.

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Mixing This is the process of coating every particle
of ground materials with a film of binder. It enhances
adhesion and produces uniform good quality briquettes.
Proper proportions of ground materials and gelatinize
starch were poured into the mixing container. The ground
materials and the binder were mixed thoroughly. The fine
carbonized material and the binder were mixed manually
and even for the sawdust.

Briquetting The mixture was converted into finished

products using the newly designed machine. Briquetting
machine is a simple energy and money saving device made
out of locally — available materials used for converting
charcoal fine into charcoal briquettes. This was done
by pouring the mixture directly into the molder which Saw dust briquettes Carbonized rice
produced it into uniformed — sized briquettes. These hull briquettes
charcoal briquettes were produced manually operated.
Fig 6. Boiling using the charcoal briquettes
Drying The briquettes were placed in trays dried under the
sun for two days, rainy days. Results and discussion

Data gathered Compaction ratio Table 2 shows the compaction ratios of

the charcoal briquettes incorporated in the machine. The
1. Compaction ratio The ratio of compression of the rice hull compaction ratio was 3:1 and for sawdust 3:1.5.
material made into briquettes was based from the depth of The depth of the cylinder was set-up at 3 inches with a
cylinder to the height of briquettes that was compressed. diameter of 2 inches.

2. Firmness of the briquettes This was based on the Table 2. Compaction ratio of the charcoal briquettes.
percentage of binding agent mixed into raw materials.
Percentage of binder was equal to the weight of cassava Raw Depth of Compressed Volume of Volume of Compaction
starch per weight of raw materials. The criteria for Materials Cylinders depth (briquettes) Cylinders Compressed ratio
determining the firmness of the briquettes were as follows: (inches) (inches) (in3) Briquettes (in3)

1 — Very poor (dry) Sawdust 3 1.5 2.36 1.18 3: 1.5
2 — Poor (easily deforms) Carbonized
3 — Good (wet and sticky) rice hull 3 1 2.36 0.79 3: 1
4 — Excellent (firm)
Statistical analysis Table 3 shows the data of compressed
3. Utilized heat The utilized heat can be calculated from depth of the sawdust and carbonized rice hull briquettes.
testing of charcoal briquettes using stove with blower (Fig
6). The charcoal briquettes were used to boil 250 grams of Table 3. Compressed depth of charcoal briquettes (inches)
water. The data measured were initial and the final mass of
Treatment Replication Treatment Treatment
briquettes, that consumed temperature of water from initial
total Mean
to final. To get the heat value, the formulas were as follow;

I II III IV
Sensible Heat, Qs = Cp W (ST)
Where:
Saw dust 1.5 1.4 1.45 1.5 5.85 1.46
Cp = specific heat of water, (1cal/g°C)
Carbonized
W = weight of water, g
rice hull 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 4.2 1.05
ΔT = change in temperature
Replication
Heat Value, q = Qs/W, cal/g
Total 2.4 2.4 2.55 2.7
Where:
Grand Total 10.05
Qs = sensible heat
Grand Mean 1.255
W = weight of the briquettes consumed

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Table 4. Analysis of variance (compressed depth of Table 5. Firmness of the briquettes
charcoal briquettes)
Raw Materials % Binder
Sources of df SS MS Comp. F Tabular F
10% 15% 20% 25%
Variance
Saw dust Very poor Poor Good Excellent
5% 1% Carbonized
rice hull Poor Good Excellent Good
Treatment 3 0.341 0.114 35.89* 4.76 9.78
Experimental
Error 6 0.057 0.0095

Total 9

cv = 7.77%

** = Highly significant

The ANOVA table shows that the computed F value

was greater than the tabular F value at the 1 % level of % of Binder
significance; therefore, the treatment difference was highly Legend:
significant. 1 = Very Poor
2 = Poor
Firmness of the briquettes Table 5 and Figure 7 show 3 = Good
the firmness of the briquettes based on the percentage of 4 = excellent
binding agent mixed with the raw materials. Percentage Fig 7. Relationship of percent binder and firmness of the
is equal to the weight of cassava per weight of carbonized briquettes
rice hull and saw dust mixed with water. At 25% binder,
Utilized heat Table 6 shows the utilized heat produced
sawdust got an excellent result of mixture due to its
by the charcoal briquettes using a stove with blower.
firmness same for the carbonized rice hull but the % binder
The charcoal briquettes used to boil 250g of water. The
used was 20%. At 15% binder, carbonized rice hull and
data measured were initial and final mass of briquettes,
sawdust got the same result which was poor mixture. This
briquettes consumed, temperature of water from initial to
means that the briquette sawdust and carbonized rice hull
final, and the time to boil. The computed value of sensible
can be easily deformed. And at 10% binder, same mixture
heat was based from the formula Q= Cpw(ΔT) where Cp=
got the same result which was very poor. This means that
1 cal/goC.
the mixture was dry and not advisable to briquette because
of the small amount of binder. Result of utilized heat value was equal to the sensible heat
per weight of the briquettes consumed. It proved that saw
dust had the greater heat value compared to carbonized rice
hull. Therefore, the higher the heat value the lesser the fuel
consumed.

Table 6. Utilized heat value

Sample Mass of Mass of Mass of Briquettes Temp. of Temp. of Time Sensible Heat
Material Briquettes Briquettes Water Consumed Water Water to Boil Heat value
(initial) (final) (initial) (final)

(g) (g) (g) (g) oC oC sec. cal. cal/g

Saw dust 200 100 250 100 29 98 104 17250 172.50

Carbonized rice hull 200 50 250 150 29 95 623 16500 110

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Conclusion Panshin AJ, Harrar ES, Baker WJ, and Proctor PE.. 1950.
Torest Products- Their Sources, Production and Utilization.
A low-cost briquetting machine utilizing locally available McGraw-Hill Book Co. Inc. New York, p. 248-267
materials was developed to transform agro-wastes into
fuel briquettes. Compaction ratio revealed that 3:1.5 for PCARRD. 1982. Charcoal to fuel cements production.
sawdust and 3:1 for carbonized rice hull. The percentage Monitor l0(6): 4-5
of binder used to attain a result of excellent firmness of
briquettes was 20% for carbonized rice hull and 25% Rodgers JB. 1936. Thermal and physical properties of fuel
for sawdust. For the computed utilized heat produced by briquettes made from agriculture and other waste products.
the charcoal briquettes using the stove with blower, the
results showed that sawdust had greater heat value than Terrado EN. 1978. A national programme for solar energy
carbonized rice hull, therefore, the higher the heat value the development in the Philippines. PSAE paper No. 78 — 04.
lesser fuel consumed. PSAE 28 annual convention, Manila.10p.

References http:// regionl0.dost.gov. ph/ technologies/ English/

charcoal.htm
Bowling RT. 1941. The mechanical development of a wood
briquetting machine. Mechanical Engineering. ASME. http://www. bpre. gov. ph/PH industry/cassava.htm
63(2):106-108.
http://www.sadl.uleth.ca/nz/collect/dl/import/itdgbp/itbp/
Junge DC. 1981. Synthetic fuels from biomass in itb2e/itb2e/itb2le.htm
alternative energy sources, JT. Manassah, ed. Academic
Press. New York. Part A

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