1st Knowbridge Conference on Renewables

AGGLOMERATION OF BIOMASS AND OTHER WASTES

Sndor Nagy research engineer, University of Miskolc

ABSTRACT The diminution of fossil energy resource inventories and the mitigation of damages caused by atmospheric pollution require that renewable energy resources are involved in energy generation as much as possible. The search for alternative energy resources is of vital importance for Hungary, also because as it is generally known our country is poor in energy resources of mineral origin. Hungary has a significant potential of renewable energy resources with special regard biomass, agricultural wastes. Industrial- and municipal solid wastes also can be used for fuel production. The main purpose of agglomeration is to increase density which is justified by the small density of the raw material and the design of fuelling equipment. Advantageous properties provided by the shape of the agglomerate. In this paper raw materials will be introduced, which can be used for fuel production. The preparation processes, different agglomeration processes and technologies of these will be also presented. INTRODUCTION After fossil energy carriers biomass represents the second main power resource in our word. Biomass waste material considered as secondary energy resource can be classified into three major categories: by products and wastes of conventional agricultural production (straw, corncob, and stalk, etc.); wastes associated with forestry and woodworking (chips, scaping, sawdust, phloem, etc.); secondary biomass from animal breeding (manure and the like). The energy stored in the biomass may be utilized in several ways, one of them is direct combustion. Municipal solid waste can also treated by different technologies, and used as secondary energy resource. Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) processes are systems which process waste by mechanical screening and biological activity to reduce the net organic mass (Fig. 1.). (Marsh) In most cases bio-waste and RDF part of MSW shall undergo preconditioning treatment prior to actual utilization. Comminution, separation and agglomeration are the main processes during the fuel production. PREPARATION For comminution of biomass and RDF suitable dynamic effects are shearing, cutting and attrition.

Fig. 1. MSW after MBT (Polgrdi).

Sndor Nagy In comminution machines utilizing shear- or cutting force size reduction is made by cutting tools moving (rotating) facet o each-other. The characteristic dynamic force in such machines is shearing. Other machines, also used in agriculture, utilize on collision and impact force (hammer mill) where the impact between high-speed rotary hammers or sheet-hammers and the biomass results in comminution of the latter. In preliminary, coarse and medium grade crushing of soft, plastic, tough and visco-elastic fibrous and waste materials like sugar beet, corn (cob and stalk), wood sticks (as well as rubber, thin wall metal objects) easily reducible by shearing rotary disc type shear-shredder machines are preferably used. Rotary tearingripping crushers operates at low working speed. In such crushers the required torsion/ripping strain is generated in the material to be comminuted by cogs most frequently fixed on horizontal rotors. The rippers may be used for crushing of household bulk refuse waste paper and cardboard as well as wet and/or sticky bulk materials. (Cske) Rotary shredders working with various cogs, knobbles or knives are very versatile and highly preferable for use with fibrous materials. Hammer mills are suitable for crushing and milling of soft, fragile and fibrous materials alike, including cereals, potatoes or sugar beet. For improvement of resulting comminution through increased shearing stress so called dead knives (stator knives) are also frequently installed. One of the used sorting mechanism is hand sorting. It is effective only if the particle size is not too small (> 50 mm). Several automatic steps follows each other in serial way during automatic sorting. It is a signal emitter - sensor - processor system, where particles are identified by pre-configured properties. Dry gravity concentration of biomass can be carried out with air flow separators, air jigs or tables. In every processing plant, even in biomass processing, protecting comminution equipment from iron particles is indispensable. In recycling two main types of magnetic separators are frequently used for the separation of ferrous metals: belt, pulley or drum separators. For all types permanent magnets as well as electromagnets can generate the magnetic field. (Gombkt) AGGLOMERATION The main purpose of agglomeration is to increase density which is justified by the small density of the raw material and the design of fuelling equipment. RDF pelletising In order to ease store and transportation the fluff RDF may be densified using conditioning equipment like a densifier, a cuber or a pelletiser. This operation does not change line efficiency or RDF low heating value but modifies the RDF density. Pelletisers produce a high density RDF (about 700 kg/dm3) which may be unsuitable for some kind of combustors like fluidised beds, while simple densifiers produce a lower density fuel (300-400 kg/dm3). (Antonio) The pelletisation of refuse derived fuel (RDF) is normally undertaken to improve the effective bulk density of the waste, which assist material handling and loading into the Energy from Waste (EfW) facility. The pelletised fuel is also higher density and therefore contains more energy per volume than unpelletised material. This source allows for regular void spacing, which assists in the passage of gasses through the combustion system. Dust and odours are minimised since the fuel pellets are homogenised and such smaller particles are trapped into the material matrix. (Marsh) Biomass pelletising Biobriquette can be produced from the dust and fine chips waste of dried wood processing plants, from ground straw, and from sawdust, wood and cortex waste requiring further

AGGLOMERATION OF BIOMASS AND OTHER WASTES

preparation, from agricultural by-products, and cultivated energy plants. For agglomeration the raw material should have an appropriate grain size distribution which in most cases requires crushing. The moisture content of biomass is crucial; its optimal value depends among others also on the type of the equipment. Based both on data of the technical literature and on our own investigations (Nagy) the desired moisture content is generally 1015%, and grain size xmax<10 mm. Biomass briquetting is mostly done without adding binding material. Normally there is a pressure of 8001600 bar in the presses (for an adequate impact period) and the base material is turned into an agglomerate of specified shape. The density of the agglomerate is typically 8001400 kg/m3. Binding mechanisms arising during compression: form and friction connections: due to pressures arising, heat intake or heat arising (heater, positive pressure water vapour) and the impact period lignocellulose present in biomasses having viscoelastic properties suffer flexible and irreversible deformation, upon the effect of heat (above 100C) a pyrolysis process starts and its decomposition products (e.g. glycosane, turpentine, etc.) help bonding. Chemical bonds that cannot be decomposed with water may be formed on temperatures exceeding 200C. Agglomeration Processes There are different methods and equipment for cutting biomass. The end-products produced by the equipment range from 425 mm pellets through briquette rods to cylindrical bales of 4 m3. With the single-piston option (Fig. 2) the material is compressed in several phases, and put into a press channel where pressing forces parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piston as well as perpendicular to it can arise. Part of the deformation and friction work arising during agglomeration turns into heat; in some equipment heaters are also applied. The specific energy requirement of briquetting is 40-80 kWh/t. Presses with two or three directions produce real briquette (prismatic).
feed

Fig. 2: Single-piston press and its product.

In case of a screw-press the screw produces compression and pushing by continuous feed. The pre-compressed material gets into a conical pre-compression channel at the end of the screw, and from there to the press channel. A conical pin is supporting the screw from the pressing channel, resting on the briquette itself, therefore the briquette is produced with a hole equalling the pin diameter. Pressing forces can be reduced at this type of machine by heating. The specific energy requirement of briquetting is 70-90 kWh/t. From a process point biopellet producing is agglomeration and briquetting under pressure. Originally the process was used to produce fodder/nutriment (e.g. for rabbits). However, producing biopellet is very widespread these days and the process is also used to produce secondary fuels (from municipal solid waste) and to agglomerate filter powders, dehydrated sludge and paper. Pellet diameter is maximised by different standards in 10 or 25 mm. Its big 3

Sndor Nagy advantage is that due to its favourable dimensions it can automatically be fed (screw-type or cell feeder) into equipment with low heat performance and its combustion is highly efficient. Basically there are two equipment designs (Fig 3): flat die and cylindrical die. The flat die is horizontal and the cylindrical or cone-frustum type rollers move around the surface of the die, or incidentally the die performs a rotary movement underneath the rollers. In case of cylindrical die the rollers inside the cylinder rotate and press the material.
RAW MATERIAL

motor 1

motor 2

press roll

Fig.3: a) Flat die pelleting, b) Cylindrical die pelleting, c) biopellet produced by VERTIKL Zrt. in its site in Polgrdi.

During operation the base material is put on the die in an appropriate layer thickness. The roller (impeller) moving through the layer crushes the material to some extent, and presses through the bores of the die (agglomeration by pressing). Rotary blades cut the continuous pellet cylinder discharged through the bore in the required distance. The relation between material properties and the pressure generated in the equipment, friction characteristics, bore length and diameter, thickness of the raw material bed on the die, the frequency of pressing, peripheral speed and the properties of the material the equipment is made of fundamentally influence crushing. The finished product can be distributed in bulk, in big-bags or in small bags.
Table 1. Densities of produced pellets.

Composition 100 % straw 0 % bran 0 % sunflower 0 % wood 0 % paper 0 % straw 80 % bran 0 % sunflower 0 % wood 20 % paper 0 % straw 30 % bran 20 % sunflower 50 % wood 0 % paper

Picture

Bulk density [kg/m3]

Pellet density [kg/m3]

403

1180

522

1060

488

1160

The Institute of the University of Miskolc and VERTIKL Zrt. carried out experimental investigations are related to the agglomeration of solid communal and agricultural waste (Fig.

AGGLOMERATION OF BIOMASS AND OTHER WASTES

3/c) using an installed flat die briquetting machine (diameter of die: 600 mm, Diameter of die holes: 14 mm). Table 1. shows three of the produced pellets and their densities.
References ANTONIO, C.: RDF production plants: I Design and costs, Applied Thermal Engineering 22 (2002) 423-437 CSKE, B.: Material Processing Comminution and Classification, University of Miskolc, Department Process Engineering university paper GOMBKT, I.: Separation technologies on biomass production: Concentration, Biohulladk, Issue 2010 MARSH, R.: Physical and thermal properties of extruded refuse derived fuel, Fuel Processing Technology 88 (2007) 701-706 NAGY, S.: Agglomeration opportunities of biomass, Biohulladk, Issue 1-2/2009.