Eco-friendly fuel is becoming popular every day. For example, a team of chemical engineers from the University of Pittsburgh recently discovered two key factors that will contribute to the development of an optimal catalyst for converting atmospheric CO2 into liquid fuel. With this development of events, it may be quite common to refuel the car’s gas tank with reduced CO2 emissions. You can take a closer look at these studies in Pittsburg, when using car rental under 25 Pittsburgh Intl airport.
In this article, we will analyze what briquettes are made of and talk about their advantages. Fuel briquettes – a type of solid fuel, an alternative to ordinary wood or coal. Due to the regular shape and size, they are also called ‘euro-woods’. They can be used in fireplaces, stoves, solid fuel boilers and other solid fuel heating appliances.
In case you are thinking of an eco-friendly business, this one could be right for you!
What briquettes are made of?
The fuel briquettes are made of waste from the woodworking and food industries – sawdust, rice husks, buckwheat or seeds. They also use affordable and inexpensive materials of energy value: straw, peat or stipa cappilata grass. The briquettes do not contain glue or other binding elements. The briquette gains strength and shape due to strong pressing and maximum drying. Therefore, their burning does not harm health. Wood briquettes are widely used for all types of furnaces, central heating boilers, wood boilers, etc., burn perfectly in fireplaces and stoves, grills, etc. The great benefit of briquettes is the constant temperature during combustion for 4 hours.
Advantages of fuel briquettes:
- The obvious advantage of using fuel briquettes for the consumer at existing purchase prices. Indeed, when burning 1000 kg of fuel briquettes, the same heat energy is released as when burning 1600 kg of wood/ almost 500 cubic meters of gas/ 500 liters of diesel fuel/ 1000 kg of coal and almost 690 liters of fuel oil.
- Briquettes are compacted 4-12 times, so the efficiency of transportation is increased and the storage area is reduced.
- Briquettes are easier to put into the combustion chamber, compared to wood and coal. They flare up well, burn long and evenly.
- When burning, briquettes have almost no negative impact on the environment and atmosphere of a heated room.
- When burning, they do not spread an unpleasant odor, do not pop and do not spark, practically do not emit smoke, soot, carbon monoxide and other harmful substances, unlike firewood or coal.
- During storage, fuel briquettes do not self-ignite with increasing temperature, as do not contain hidden pores. Not explosive, unlike gas, diesel fuel, etc.
- They do not absorb moisture from the air, so their high calorific value does not decrease with time. Therefore, the equipment of special storage for briquettes is not required.
- Fuel briquettes do not contain dust and spores that cause allergies in humans.
- Long burning time. Briquettes give twice as much heat as ordinary firewood. In addition, they provide a continuous temperature throughout the combustion phase.
- When using briquettes, the costs of cleaning and servicing boilers, fireplaces and stoves tend to zero, this way the service life of the equipment increases significantly.
- Heating costs are usually much lower than when using common wood or coal.
Premises and equipment, needed for the production of fuel briquettes
Since the production technology of euro-woods is associated with combustion processes, the mandatory requirements for the place of their production are:
- heavy ventilation;
- power supply;
- drainage and water supply;
- the presence of the industrial zone;
- area – not less than 5,000 square meters.
You can build a mini-factory from scratch, or you can rent a workshop, which will save on initial investment in a business.
The most costly item of expenses is the purchase of equipment. You would need:
- Draining-rack with the aerodynamic principle of operation, which is necessary to remove moisture from the wood;
- shock press, which compresses already dry wood;
- crushing unit, which grinds raw materials into small fractions;
- screw cyclone, which supplies the material to the place of its filtration;
- heat generator, which regulates the temperature regime;
- automated control panel, which monitors all stages of the production process.
In addition to the basic equipment, transport trolleys and devices that replace manual labor are useful – this will increase productivity and bring additional income.
Fuel briquettes are an alternative type of solid fuel to firewood or coal. They are suitable for fireplaces, solid fuel boilers, stoves and other heating appliances. The burning quality of the briquettes and their calorific value depend on the material of their manufacture. With the right and responsible approach, you can successfully develop a profitable business in this scope of activity.