International Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Science, Vol. 1, No.

1, 2016

Fabrication of Pellet Making Machine

Prof. Nilesh R.Pathare1, Prof.C.K.Tembhurkar2
1,2
Assistant Professor
Priyadarshini College of Engineering, Nagpur, India,440019

Abstract –Engineering over the last decade there have The same technical specification also provides more
been two major factors that have been driving the growth details on the specifications of properties for wood
of the pellet fuel market. The first is the consistent rise in pellets. Requirements and classes are formulated for
the cost of fossil fuels and price instability, and the second diameter, moisture content, ash percentage, sulphur
is the increased attention given to the effects of using contents, mechanical durability, amount of fines,
fossil fuels such as oil and gas on The environment. Other additives, and nitrogen content. The requirements for
factors that support the case for pellets is that they are a sulphur and nitrogen are only valid for chemically-treated
fuel that can be produced locally, from local wood and wood or if additives have been used. Durability is
biomass materials. Local pellet production and measured to see how well the pellets are pressed. The
distribution can produce an affordable fuel, while higher the number, the better the quality. The amount of
creating local jobs and keeping the carbon footprint to a fines is measured at the final point in the production
minimum. One question that many people ask is why have chain, just before the pellets are loaded out. Pressing aids,
pellets instead of just burning logs? Well there are many slagging inhibitors or any other additives have to be
reasons, but firstly logs only come from trees that in declared for the product. Wood pellets are usually made
general grow very slowly. Pellets can be made from from clean conifer sawdust and planer shavings. The
practically any biomass material including straws, wood must have been debarked prior to passing through
grasses, energy crops etc. For example hemp is set to be a the sawmill. Sawdust of hardwoods can be mixed in with
biomass fuel leader. The other main reasons for pellets that of softwood, but successful production of hardwood
over logs are that pellets burn much more efficiently. This pellets without binders is more difficult. If at all possible,
means pellets produce less ash, less smoke and more heat. dry sawdust and shavings (less than 15% moisture
Also pellets have a uniform size, shape, density and content) are used, because then the drying step can be
moisture content. These consistent qualities make it used.
possible to design highly automated combustion systems
such as modern wood pellet stoves and boilers. WOOD PELLET MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Keywords- pellet making machine, biomass fuel, Our process for manufacturing wood pellets for fuel
extrusion involve placing clean wooden biomass normally between
0-5mm under high pressure through small round holes
INTRODUCTION
called a “die.” Eco Energy use ring die machines. The
manufacturing process must have the correct conditions
for the natural lignin in the wood to be released and bind
The CEN/Technical Specification 14588 Solid bio the wood pellets together, we don’t use any glues or
fuels – Terminology, definition sand descriptions binding agents in our production or products, when the
describes biofuel pellets as: identified bio fuel made from biomass “fuses” together, forming a solid mass. This
pulverized biomass, with or without pressing aids, usually process is called “extrusion.” Eco Energy’s
with a cylindrical form, random length typically 5 to 30 manufacturing process forms high-quality fuel wood
mm, and broken ends. In CEN/Technical Specification pellets, while other types of biomass may need additives
14961 So id Bio fuels – Fuel specifications and classes to serve as a “binder” that have to hold the pellets
identified bio fuel is further sub-divided into briquettes, together. Creating wood pellets is a small part in the
which have a diameter larger than 25 mm, and pellets, overall process of manufacturing wood fuel pellets.
which have a diameter of less than 25mm.

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 International Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Science, Vol. 1, No.1, 2016

lignin plasticizes slightly forming a natural "glue" that

holds the pellet together as it cools. The image to the right
depicts the basic design and operation of the ring die
pellet mill. Unlike the flat die pellet mill design the ring
die is positioned vertically instead of horizontally. The
raw material enters the centre of the die and is
compressed through the die with a series of compression
rollers. Most ring die pellet mills have two compression
rollers, however some ring die pellet mills have three
maybe four compression rollers. The most common
design of ring die pellet mill is where the die is powered
and rotating, and the rollers move due to the friction and
movement of the die. Before pellet compression in the
pellet mill can take place the wood, straw, grass or any
Fig.1.Pellet process other form of biomass must be reduced in size. One fact
that is not widely stated however is one of the most
EXTRUSION
important facts in pellet production, "Only a raw material
A highly sprung roller is rotated around the inside of the of consistent quality can produce consistent quality
heated metal plate called a “die.” The die has multiple pellets". Part of this consistency is the size of raw material
6mm holes drilled through it of which allows the biomass particles used in the pellet mill. Particles, which are too
to be compacted under high temperature and extreme small or too large, can severally affect pellet quality and
pressure creating the carpet between the rollers and the increase energy consumption.
die. This is the constantly under pressure and heat. When
the conditions are correct the biomass particles pass BIO FUEL PREMIUM WOOD PELLETS
through the die and will fuse into a solid mass this is
where the natural Lignin in the wood acts as the binder Elevating the ever growing land fill, Eco Energy does not
turning into a wood pellets. The Blade slices the wood harvest trees for production this offers you a true bio fuel.
pellets to the required length as it passes out of the die. Eco Energy manufacture Wood Pellets that are
Sawdust is deemed one of the best feedstock for pelleting cylindrical compressed pellets made from dry, natural
because the lignin that is naturally present in the wood recovered wood sawdust, wood shavings with a diameter
this is what binds the wood pellets together under the of 6 millimeters. They are chemical additives free and
correct conditions. using only the natural lignin in the wood as a binder.
Wood pellets are available by the kilograms. Pellets are a
uniform, standardized fuel of a consistent quality.
Advantages also lie in the minimal amount of storage
required.

Fig.2. Line Diagram

Fig.3. Wood Pellet
Pellets are produced by compressing the wood material
which has first passed through a hammer mill to provide SYSTEM DESIGN
a uniform dough-like mass. This mass is fed to a press
All batch fed wood boilers and most wood stoves with
where it is squeezed through a die having holes of the size
integral boilers should have an external heat store to take
required (normally 15 mm diameter, sometimes 20 mm or
the heat from the boiler when a load is not present. If this
larger). The high pressure of the press causes the
store is large enough it can provide for the daily peak
temperature of the wood to increase greatly, and the
loads experienced when a heating system is started each
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 International Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Science, Vol. 1, No.1, 2016

day, and also provide hot water for sinks and showers. CONCLUSIONS
Various rules of thumb exist for sizing thermal stores
associated with stoves and other batch fed boilers. Biomass pellets can be economically produced with a
European Standard EN 303-5 contains the following production cost of $51/t, assuming a raw material cost of
formula to calculate the size of storage tank required for a Rs10/t and drying biomass from 40% to 10% moisture
batch fed boiler within a stove. using dry shavings as fuel. Raw material and personnel
costs are the major cost factors on the pellet production
Vst = 15TcQn(1-0.3(Qh/Qmin)) cost followed by dryer and pellet mill costs. An increase
in raw material cost substantially increases the pellet
where Vst is the volume of the tank, Tc is the combustion
production cost. Scale of the plant, burner fuel options,
time at rated heat output, Qn is the nominal heat output,
and the fuel cost had a significant influence on the pellet
Qh is the building heat load and Qmin is the minimum
production cost. Small-scale pellet plants are more
output of the boiler. In practice, however, the use of this
expensive to operate, which eventually increases the
equation may be unnecessary or too onerous. A
pellet production cost. A larger scale pellet plant with a
commonly encountered rule of thumb suggests that the
production capacity (10 t/h) would produce less
storage volume should be no less than 50 litres per kW
expensive pellets. Among the five burner fuel options
(l/kW) of boiler rating. A range of between 50 l/kW and
tested, coal or wet biomass may considerably reduce the
75 l/kW is also often quoted although the upper end of
pellet production cost. However, environmental impacts
this range may be too large for many applications and
due to the combustion of these fuels require further
would, in turn, limit the size of boiler which could be
investigation to control potential emissions.
fitted in a batch fed system. As with the design of all
wood burning systems it is important not to oversize the REFERENCES
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dynamics and high speeds working which is combined
with other portent aspects such as outstanding removal
swarf, high flexibility, good genomics and with
possibility automation.

(A) (B) (C)

Fig.4. (A) Good quality (B) medium quality (C) poor quality

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