Performance of Briquetting Machine for Briquette Fuel

Cashew nut shell, grass and rice husk were used as major biomass in the form of raw biomass, hydrolyzed biomass and carbonized biomass. Carbonized biomass was found suitable as compared to raw (as such) and hydrolyzed biomass for briquetted fuel. The briquettes were prepared on screw press extruder briquetting machine for different combi- nations of major biomass. The prepared briquettes after sun drying were subjected to various tests for assessing the quality of fuel. The suitability of briquetted fuel as domestic fuel was studied with standard water boiling test. Cashew shell briquettes burnt with good flame in cook stove and observed 15.5 per cent thermal efficiency. Better results in cashew shell briquettes related to calorific value, shattering indices test, tumbling test, degree of densification, energy density ratio, resistance to water penetration and water boiling test as compared to grass and rice husk briquettes were observed. Calorific value was found more in cashew shell briquetted fuel as 5154.58 kcal/kg. Net Present Value of cashew shell, grass and rice husk bri- quettes were 1935370.8, 2256434.38 and 631948.8 respectively. Pay back period for cashew shell, grass, rice husk briquettes were 8.1, 7.56 and 29.35 months respectively. Benefit Cost Ratio for cashew shell, grass, and rice husk briquettes were 2.8, 2.93 and 1.51 respectively.