Special Issue - 2015 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)

ISSN: 2278-0181
ISNCESR-2015 Conference Proceedings

Biomass Densification Technologies to Obtain

Briquettes for Energy Application – A Review
V. M. Victor S. V. Jogdand
Department of Farm Machinery & Power Engineering Department of Farm Machinery & Power Engineering
SV College of Agricultural Engineering & Technology SV College of Agricultural Engineering & Technology
Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya
Raipur, Chhattisgarh Raipur, Chhattisgarh

A. K. Chandraker
Department of Farm Machinery & Power Engineering
SV College of Agricultural Engineering & Technology
Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya
Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Abstract— Forest area of the country is depleting every increase in its production is resulting in the burning of large
year, which is an alarming situation presently. quantity of dry crop residue every year. Apart from
Deforestation is a major contributor to anthropogenic destruction of a good source of organic matter and energy,
climate change. On the other hand surplus and substantial uncontrolled burning of crop residue creates a serious
quantities of agricultural and agro-processing residues are environmental problem which will get aggravated as more
being burnt in the field for quick disposal in different crop residue become surplus each year. The chemical
parts of the country, which creates negative impact on the composition of crop residues is not much different than wood.
environment. The low density of agricultural residues like However, crop residues are thinly spread over large area, their
straw, grasses, stalks and woody biomass limit their availability is seasonal and there are problems associated with
application as a feedstock in energy production. Prior to their storage and handling. Briquetting technologies reduce
cost effective use of these materials in energy application, various problems associated with the management and
it is necessary to convert them in uniformally formatted, utilization of biomass in domestic and industrial sectors.
densified feedstock to increase their consistent physical Briquetting of some of the crop residues has become cost
properties like size, shape and bulk densities to reduce competitive and the briquettes being used as replacement of
technical limitations associated with storage, loading and firewood for energy application.
transportation. A variety of densification systems like
The aim of the present paper is a comprehensive review of
pelleting, briquetting or extrusion processing are the
biomass processing, which includes densification
commonly used methods to achieve densification of loose
technologies, densification equipments, characteristics of
biomass. This study gave emphasis on the suitability of
briquettes, unit operations involved in briquette preparation,
these densification systems of biomass, specific energy
their cost and specific energy consumption in densification.
consumption and end product quality. Study revealed that
the piston ram press type briquetting machine is more A. Briquetting Technology
flexible in terms of feedstock variables where biomass with
Briquetting is a technology for densification of biomass / crop
higher moisture content and large particle sized biomass
residues to increase its bulk density, lower moisture contents,
are acceptable for making good quality briquettes while
uniform size and shape for easy handling, transport, storage
screw press type machine consumes more energy because
and uniform burning (when used for energy). Briquettes have
it not only compresses but also shears and mixes the
high specific density, about 1100-1200 kg/ m3 and bulk
materials during process.
density about 600-800 kg/m3 as compared to loose biomass
Keywords- briquetting technologies, pellet, biomass which have bulk density in the range of 80-100 kg/m3 for
densification. agricultural straws and grasses and 150 - 200 kg/ m3 for
woody biomass (Mitchell et al. 2007). Conventional processes
I. INTRODUCTION
for biomass densification can be classified into baling,
Biomass fuels are a potential source of renewable energy. pelletization, extrusion, and briquetting, which are carried out
After coal and oil, biomass stands as the third largest energy using a bailer, pelletizer, screw press, piston or a roller press.
resources in the world. About 1.5 tonne of crop residue is Pelletization and briquetting are the most common processes
harvested with each tonne of main product. Crop residue is used for biomass densification for solid fuel applications.
also produced during primary processing of crops such as These high-pressure compaction technologies, also called
sugarcane, rice, groundnut, and coconut. Part of the crop “binderless” technologies, are usually carried out using either
residue produced through agriculture is primarily used as a screw press or a piston press (Sokhansanj et al. 2005).
domestic fuel. Off-farm use of crop residue remains limited.
Briquetting can be done with and without binder. In the
Stagnation or even reduction in demand of crop residues and
commercial briquetting machines no binder is used. It is done

Volume 3, Issue 20 Published by, www.ijert.org 1

 Special Issue - 2015 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
ISNCESR-2015 Conference Proceedings
c) Roller Press
under high temperature and/or pressure. At higher temperature Densification of biomass using roller presses works
(between 100-1200 C) the lignin present in the biomass is on the principle of pressure and agglomeration, where pressure
fluidized and acts as its own binder. When temperature goes is applied between two counter-rotating rolls. Ground
down, lignin solidifies and holds the briquettes intact in biomass, when forced through the gap between the two rollers,
cylindrical form (Briggs et al., 1999). During densification of is pressed into a die, or small pockets, forming the densified
starch-rich biomass using an extrusion process like pelleting, product (Yehia, 2007). Design parameters that play a major
the presence of heat and moisture gelatinizes the starch and role on the quality of the densified product are the diameter of
results in better binding (Wood, 1987 and Thomas et al., the rollers, the gap width, the roller force, and the shape of the
1998). die (Yehia, 2007).
All agricultural crop residues, woody biomass, saw dust from Roller-press machines have been in use since 1870.
timber mills, dried leaves from orchards, shrubs and grasses Johanson’s (1965) analysis was based on understanding the
along the road sides can be used for briquetting. During behavior of granular solids within a roller press, which
compaction, solid bridges are developed by chemical reactions involves the interaction between the particles of the material
and sintering, hardening of the binder, solidification of the itself as well as the interaction between the material and the
melted substances, or crystallization of the dissolved machine.
materials. The pressure applied during densification also
reduces the melting point of the particles and causes them to d) Pellet Press Type
move towards one another, thereby increasing the contact area These machines operate by extruding small diameter (10-30
and changing the melting point to a new equilibrium level mm) pellets through a die, which has many holes. The
(York and Pilpel, 1972; Pietsch, 1984). extruding mechanism is often 2 or 3 eccentric rollers, which
The problem lies in their collection, drying, handling and move inside a large cylinder or conical die. The material to be
transport. Crop residues like rice and wheat straw are not palletized is dropped in the cylinder and when the rollers ride
presently being briquetted and substantial quantities are being over this material and rotate, they push the material through
burnt in the field for quick disposal in different parts of the holes in the die against resistance from pellets already formed
country. They can also be briquetted. in the die holes. Pellets are less harder than briquettes.
B. Densification Equipments (Briquetting Machines) Such machines were originally developed for producing
animal feed and have high through puts. The power
a) Piston-ram Press Type requirement of this type of machines also varies according to
Piston presses are commonly used as briquetting machines for the capacity of the machine. A 500 kg/h capacity machine
densification of biomass. In this type of machine, the material requires about 16 kW power for its operation.
is fed into a cylinder which is then compressed by a piston e) Pellet Mill
into a slightly tapering die. Diameter of briquettes is
proportional to output of the machine. Commercial machines The same equipment like pallet press, called a pallet mill,
with 0.5-1.5 t/h capacity are available. They produce adapted to the specific requirements of wood and other
briquettes in the range of 50-90 mm diameter. Piston presses biomasses, is used for mass production of fuel pallets. A pellet
can be driven mechanically or hydraulically. Mechanical mill consists of a perforated hard steel die with one or two
presses generally produce hard and dense briquettes, while rollers. By rotating the die or the rollers, the feedstock is
hydraulic presses which work at low pressure, gives briquettes forced through the perforations to form densified pellets.
which are less dense and somewhat soft and friable. The Different dimensions of a commercial pellet die are available
power requirement of such briquetting machines varies from as per requirement. Commercial pelletizers are available with
25 kW to 66 kW. production capacities ranging from 200 kg/hr to 8 ton/hr,
indicating that the pelletizer capacity is not restricted by the
b) Screw Press Type density of the raw material (as in the case of piston or screw
In this type of machine the material is fed continuously into a presses). Power consumption of the pellet mills ranges from
screw which forces the material into a cylindrical die, which is 15–40 kWh/ton (Grover and Mishra, 1996).
often heated to 250-300°C to raise the temperature to the point C. Characteristics of Briquettes
where lignin starts flowing. Pressure builds up smoothly. If die
is not heated then temperature may not rise sufficiently to a) Moisture Content
cause lignin flow and to bind the material. If the heat The final moisture content of the pellets or briquettes from
generated within the system is not sufficient for the material to biomass is greatly dependent on process conditions like initial
reach a pseudo-plastic state for smooth extrusion, heat is moisture content, temperature, and pressure. Higher moisture
provided to the extruders from outside either using band or content in the final product results when the initial moisture
tape heaters (Grover and Mishra, 1996).Briquettes are often of content is greater than 15%. Mani et al. (2006) observe that
high quality than piston-press unit but the power requirement initial moisture content of >15% and pressure >15 MPa has a
per tonne of briquette produced is also high. Briquettes negative effect on the final briquette quality where cracks
produced by this machine have a hole in the center which were observed. Pellets with lower moisture content (<5%) can
makes it burn quickly. The wear and tear of screw is very high result in revenue loss for the pellet manufacturer as they tend
and requires frequent reconditioning. to break up, creating more fines during storage and
transportation. Pellets with high moisture content can be

Volume 3, Issue 20 Published by, www.ijert.org 2

 Special Issue - 2015 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
ISNCESR-2015 Conference Proceedings
subject to spoilage due to bacterial and fungal decomposition shell
resulting in significant dry matter losses during storage and
Wheat - - - - √
transportation (Tumuluru et al., 2010a). straw
b) Bulk Density Rice straw - - √ - √
Bulk density is an important parameter for storage and
Pearl - - √ - √
transportation purposes. Pellets or briquettes with higher millet
density are preferred as fuel because of their high energy stalk
content per unit volume and slow burning property (Kumar et Mustard - - - - √
al., 2009). Bulk density of pellets or briquettes greatly depends Stalk
upon processing conditions, like temperature, moisture
Dry leaves - - - - √
content, particle size, and pressure. High temperatures and
lower moisture content favors high density products. Smaller Source : Srivastava and Vyas, 2008
particle size produces denser products (Shankar and TABLE II : COST OF PREPARATION OF DIFFERENT
Bandyopadhyay, 2004). It is generally accepted that raw- FEEDSTOCK FOR BRIQUETTING
material particle size influences the density of the pellets; e.g.,
small particles give a higher density for single pellets. This is S. Feed stock Total energy used per Total cost of
N. tonne in feedstock feedstock
true at least at low and medium densification pressures (Mani preparation preparation per
et al. 2006). Bergström et al. (2008) stated that high pressure tonne (including
in the dies reduces the influence of the raw material particle- fixed and
size distribution on the bulk density. operation costs of
different machines
c) Calorific Value used), in Rs.
In general, the calorific value of pellets and briquettes depends
1 Saw dust 2 Man-h + 1.3 kWh 29.25
upon process conditions like temperature, particle size, and in
feed pretreatment. Generally, pellets with higher density have 2 Sugarcane 38.86 Man-h + 86.28 kWh 929.07
bagasse
higher calorific value. The typical calorific values of wood
pellets ranges from 17 to 18 MJ/kg (Tumuluru et al., 2010a). 3 Cotton stalk 64.34 Man-h +102.20 kWh 1368.36
Pretreatment processes such as torrefaction and steam 4 Pearl millet stalk 27.96 Man-h + 86.27 kWh 826.42
explosion can have a significant effect on the calorific value of
the final product. The typical calorific values of straw-based 5 Wheat straw 9.39 Man-h + 43.66 kWh 352.40
pellets range from 17–18 MJ/kg (Satyanarayana et al., 2010). 6 Rice straw 27.87 Man-h + 51.40 kWh 604.00
Pretreatment processes such as torrefaction and steam 7 Groundnut shell 5.32 Man-h + 19.38 kWh 157.45
explosion can have a significant effect on the calorific value of
the final product and increase them from 20–22 MJ/kg. 8 Jatropha shell 6.20 Man-h + 25.12 kWh 196.12
Tumuluru et al. (2010b) conducted studies on pretreatment of 9 Mustard Stalk 24.00 Man-h + 66.00kWh 605.99
corn stover and miscanthus biomass using the torrefaction
10 Dry leaves 24.50 Man-h + 62.50 kWh 589.74
method, found that the calorific value increases by about 20%
to its original value when torrefied at temperature ranges of Source : Srivastava and Vyas, 2008
200–300°C. III.COMPARISON OF VARIOUS DENSIFICATION
TECHNOLOGIES
II. PREPARATION OF FEED STOCK FOR BRIQUETTING
A comparison of different densification technologies in terms
Several unit operations are required for preparation of of feedstock properties, machine capacity and its maintenance,
feedstock for briquetting. The cost of feedstock preparation specific energy consumption and its suitability for end use
which ultimately affects the cost of briquetting depends on the application is shown in Table 1.All densification systems
number of unit operations used. Unit operations involved and reviewed in this study help in obtaining a uniform feedstock
their effect on cost of feedstock preparations of few selected for energy applications. Table 1 revealed that briquettes
biomass are given in Table 1 and 2. obtained from screw press equipment is more suitable for co-
firing and combustion as the biomass is carbonized during
TABLE 1 : UNIT OPERATIONS INVOLVED IN PREPARATION
OF DIFFERENT FEEDSTOCK FOR BRIQUETTING densification, whereas the pellet, roller and piston pressed
briquettes are more suitable for thermo-chemical conversion
Feedstock Unit Operations
processes. Piston press machine can handle bigger particle size
Sieving Drying Chopping Shredding Grinding of biomass with higher moisture content, giving it advantage
Saw dust √ √ - - - over other briquetting equipments.
Sugarcane - - √ - √ The specific energy consumption of different densification
bagasse systems varies depending on the different unit operations
Cotton - - √ √ √ involved like compression, pushing, shearing and mixing. The
stalk densification systems that involve more compression and
pushing consume more energy because they depend on the
Groundnut - - - - √
shell dimensions of the pressing channel. About 40 per cent of the
energy is required for compressing the material and the
Jatropha - - - - √ remaining energy is required for overcoming the friction

Volume 3, Issue 20 Published by, www.ijert.org 3

 Special Issue - 2015 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
ISNCESR-2015 Conference Proceedings

during compression. Screw press densification system [9] N. Satyanarayana, C. Y. Tao, G. Glaser, Hans-J€org and P. Ay,
consumes higher energy among all the densification system “Increasing the Calorific Value of Rye Straw Pellets with Biogenous and
Fossil Fuel Additives,” Energy Fuels, Vol. 24, pp. 5228–5234, 2010.
because it not only compresses but also shears and mixes the [10] N. S. L. Srivastava and D. K. Vyas, “ Efficient management of Crop and
materials, where as pallet press consumes the least energy, Agro-processing residues for Animal feed and Energy through
may be due to the higher moisture content of the material and Briquetting,” Proc. 42 ISAE Annual Convention and Symposium, CIAE
loose binding of briquettes (Kaliyan and Morey, 2006). Bhopal, pp 12-24, February 1-3, 2008.
[11] P. Mitchell, J. Kiel, B. Livingston and G. Dupont-Roc, “Torrefied
REFERENCES Biomass: A Foresighting Study into the Business Case for Pellets from
Torrefied Biomass as a New Solid Fuel,” All Energy, May 24, 2007.
[1] J. F. Wood, “The Functional Properties of Feed Raw Materials and the [12] P. D. Grover and S. K. Mishra, “Biomass Briquetting: Technology and
Effect on the Production and Quality of Feed Pellets,” Animal Feed Practices,” Regional Wood Energy Development Programme in Asia,
Science and Technology, Vol. 18, pp. 1–17, 1987. GCP/RAS/154/NET, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United
[2] J. L. Briggs, D. E. Maier, B. A.Watkins and K. C. Behnke, “Effects of Nations, Bangkok, 1996.
Ingredients and Processing Parameters on Pellet Quality,” Poultry [13] P. York and N. Pilpel, “The Effect of Temperature on the Mechanical
Science, Vol.78, pp. 1464–1471, 1999. Properties of Some Pharmacuticals Powders in Relation to Tableting,”
[3] J. R. Johanson, “A Rolling Theory for Granular Solids,” Transactions of Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Vol.24, pp. 47–56, 1972.
the ASME, Journal of Applied Mechanics, pp. 842–848, December [14] R. Kumar, N. Chandrashekar and K. K. Pandey, “Fuel Properties and
1965. Combustion Characteristicsof Lantana Camara and Eupatorium Spp.,”
[4] J. S. Tumuluru, S. Sokhansanj, C. J. Lim, X. Bi, L. Anthony, M. Current Science, Vol. 97 (6), pp.930–935, 2009.
Staffan, T. Sowlati and O. Ehsan, “Quality of Wood Pellets Produced in [15] S. Mani, L. G. Tabil and S. Sokhansanj, “Specific Energy Requirement
British Columbia,” Applied Engineering in Agriculture, Vol. 26(6), pp. for Compacting Corn Stover,” Bioresource Technology, Vol. 97, pp.
1013–1020, 2010a. 1420–1426, 2006.
[5] J. S. Tumuluru, S. Sokhansanj, L. Tabil, M. Kashaninejad and S. [16] S. Sokhansanj, S. Mani, X. Bi, P. Zaini and L. Tabil “Binderless
Bandyopadhyay, “Effect of Extrusion Process Conditions on the Quality Pelletization of Biomass,” Presented at the ASAE Annual International
Attributes of Multi-Component Biomass Pellets,” Food and Bioprocess Meeting. Tampa, FL, ASAE Paper No. 056061. ASAE, 2950 Niles
Technology, 2010b. Road, St. Joseph, MI 49085-9659 USA, July 17–20, 2005.
[6] K. A. Yehia, “Estimation of Roll Press Design Parameters Based on the [17] T. J. Shankar, and S. Bandyopadhyay “Optimization of Extrusion
Assessment of a Particular Nip Region,” Powder Technology, Vol. 177, Process Variables using a Genetic Algorithm,” Food and Bioproducts
pp.148–153, 2007. Processing, Vol. 82(C2), pp. 143–150, 2004.
[7] M. Thomas, T. van Vliet, and A. F. B. van der Poel, “Physical Quality of [18] W. B. Pietsch, “ Size Enlargement Methods and Equipments—Part 2:
Pelleted animal Feed 3. Contribution of Feedstuff Components,” Animal Agglomerate Bonding and Strength,” in M. E. Fayed and L. Otten
Feed Science Technology, Vol. 70, pp. 59–78, 1998. (Eds.), Handbook of Powder Science and Technology, New York, USA:
[8] N. Kaliyan and R. Morey, “ Densification Characteristics of Corn Stover Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., pp. 231–252, 1984.
and Switchgrass,” ASABE Paper No. 066174, Annual International
Meeting, Portland, ASAE, St. Joseph, MI, USA, July 9-12, 2006.

TABLE III: COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT DENSIFICATION EQUIPMENTS

S. N. Parameters Densification equipments
Piston ram Screw Press Roller Press Pallet Press Pallet Mill
press
1. Optimum moisture content, % 10-15 4-8 10-15 30-35 10-15
2. Particle size, mm 6-12 2-6 <4 <3 <3
3. Addition of binder Not required Not required Required Required Not required
4. Shape of briquette/pallet Cylindrical Cylindrical Elliptical Cylindrical Cylindrical
5. Output from machine In-strokes Continuous Continuous Continuous Continuous
6. Specific Energy Consumption, 37.4-77 36.8-150 29.81-83.1 13.6-65.8 16.4-74.5
KW/t
7. Combustion performance of Moderate Very good Moderate Very good Very good
briquettes
8. Carbonization of charcoal Not possible Makes good Not possible Not possible Not possible
charcoal
9. Suitability in gasifier Suitable Suitable Suitable Suitable Suitable
10. Suitability for confiring Suitable Suitable Suitable Suitable Suitable
11. Homogeneity of biomass Not Homogeneou Not Homogeneou Homogeneou
homogeneous s homogeneous s s
12. Maintenance High Low Low Low Low

Volume 3, Issue 20 Published by, www.ijert.org 4