Charcoal From Agro-Waste
Introduction
Scientists from the Agricultural Engineering College of Jabalpur, India, have developed a simple and inexpensive technology for converting agricultural and urban wastes into charcoal pellets through pyrolysis.
Charcoal is produced by burning raw material within a confined place under controlled conditions well enough to be carbonised but not so much that they are reduced to ashes.
About 7 kgs of charcoal can be obtained from 10 kg raw material with the charcoal having a calorific value of 4,500 to 5,000 k cal per kg. Longer-lasting pellets with lower calorific value can be obtained by mixing charcoal with clay.
Areas of Application: This charcoal can be used as a fuel in different industries for generating heat.
Inputs Required:
To produce charcoal, the following equipment required are:
- Ten leaf collectors which are mainly bamboo or mild steel rakes.
- Five leaf crushers or lightweight (15 kg) manually operated machines for compacting leaves.
- Two municipal waste cleaners which manually operate perforated inclined cylinders made of expanded metal.
- 75 waste pyrolisers having a maximum capacity of 10 kg for transforming cellulosic material into charcoal powder.
- These pyrolisers are ordinary mild steel drums with holes and lids on the drum's periphery. A detachable chimeny is located at the top of the drum.
- Two extruder-type pellestising machines with 7.5 HP motors. Charcoal pellets are 2.5 cm in diameter and 7.5 to 12.5 cm in length.
Stage of Development
Commercialised
Economic Data
Investment for a small unit producing three tons of fuel pellets per day is estimated at 3,900 USD, excluding land and building costs.
For further information please contact
The Managing Director
National Research Development Corp.
Anusandhan Vikas,
20-22 Zamroodpur Community Centre,
Kailash Colony Extension,
New Delhi 110048, India
Tel : 26417821; 26432121
