About technology of coal briquetting at home

Finding effective and sustainable heating solutions is crucial for keeping our homes warm during the winter. Even with the abundance of contemporary options, conventional techniques such as coal heating remain relevant, particularly in regions with cheap and abundant resources. However, there are both financial and environmental reasons to be concerned about the efficient and clean use of coal. Here’s where coal briquetting technology comes into play, providing a workable solution that maximizes the advantages of coal heating while minimizing its disadvantages for homeowners.

Briquettes, which are compact, uniform shapes created by compressing coal dust or small pieces, are the result of coal briquetting. This procedure improves the characteristics of coal combustion while also making it simpler to handle and transport. When coal is compacted into briquettes, its surface area rises, enabling more effective burning and lower emissions than when coal is burned loose. Briquetting also contributes to the removal of fines and dust, which leads to better air quality and cleaner handling.

The versatility of coal briquetting is one of its main benefits. Briquettes for industrial boilers, furnaces, and residential stoves can all be customized to meet specific heating requirements and tastes. Briquettes can be customized by homeowners to have the best burning qualities, generating the most heat output with the least amount of waste and pollution. These modifications include size, shape, and composition. Because of its versatility, coal briquetting is a sensible option for a range of heating applications, providing dependability and affordability in areas with a plentiful supply of coal.

Moreover, coal briquetting technology is relatively simple to apply at home, making it available to small-scale users and individual homeowners alike. Anyone can make their own coal briquettes with the correct tools and fundamental knowledge, eliminating the need for outside suppliers and guaranteeing a reliable, affordable fuel source for heating. The utilization of locally available resources in this do-it-yourself approach not only empowers homeowners but also fosters self-sufficiency and sustainability.

Production of coal briquettes in factory conditions

Low density and low specific caloric value are characteristics of dust and fine coal fractions. However, they can be purchased at a low cost and compressed into a small volume to produce high-quality fuel. In other words, to create pressed coal briquettes, which have a significantly higher density and calorific value.

You will need to know what kind of machinery the factory uses to stamp these kinds of briquettes if you want to make them yourself out of fine coal. An assembly line of technological devices used in the manufacturing of heating briquettes includes the following installations:

• crusher;
• drying chamber;
• briquetting press.

Note: The equipment units are listed in the technology-based order in which they are currently found. Belt or screw conveyors are used for feeding raw materials and moving them between installations.

The following is the procedure for pressing coal fuel:

1. In the crusher, coal fines are crushed to particles of the same size, depending on the characteristics of the pressing equipment. The maximum permissible size fraction is 6 mm.
2. In the dryer, the humidity of raw materials is reduced to a value of 15% (maximum).
3. The last stage is pressing, which is performed under pressure from 20 to 120 MPa, depending on the technology used.

Occasionally, organic or mineral binders are added to the raw material to increase the strength of the finished product. The mixture is heated to a temperature between 250 and 350 °C before being compacted. Coal briquettes can be pressed in two different ways for heating:

• on stamp (roller) presses;
• by means of extrusion machines.

A force of 100–120 MPa is developed when the heated coal mixture is squeezed in special molds by a stamp press. The briquetted coal then goes through the cooling and packaging processes. The resultant products take the shape of bricks with holes, cylinders, "tablets," and "pads."

Large amounts of fuel are produced using this coal briquette production process, which comes at a high cost in terms of both energy and money.

Extrusion manufacturing involves feeding raw materials through a die with precisely sized holes using a screw press. The result is a cylindrical coal briquette that resembles a "sausage." Although less effective, this method of coal briquetting is less expensive.

The original raw material’s composition—brown or hard coal—as well as the existence of binders and other elements affect the fuel’s properties. However, factory briquettes typically have a maximum ash content of 8.5% and a moisture content of 8%, meaning that their calorific value is at least 7 kW/kg.

How to make coal briquettes with your own hands?

Industrial technology cannot be implemented at home. The need to coordinate their actions with local authorities, the high cost of energy, and the high cost of equipment used in the production of coal briquettes are the reasons. However, a private home owner does not require the use of a massive, on-site production facility in order to heat their residence. Three to four tons of coal briquettes can be made with it, providing enough fuel for the entire winter.

Two methods are available to obtain pressed coal in briquettes:

• Weld a machine for molding a briquette from rolled metal and extrude the products manually;
• assemble a screw press to briquette coal fines by extrusion with your own hands.

It will not be possible to obtain characteristics that are similar to the factory production fuel indicators in either scenario. However, it is much more practical and convenient to burn homemade briquettes rather than coal dust to successfully heat the house.

Manual pressing

Many experts agree that manual extrusion is a suitable method for producing bricks at home for skilled individuals. A receiving hopper is placed on top of the frame, which is made of 40×40 mm angles and profile pipes that are welded together. The frame has a manually operated mechanism that presses the goods into a rectangular shape. The figure depicts a drawing of a homemade press used for coal briquetting by hand:

Bricks can be made with a cylindrical shape in place of a rectangular one, and through holes inserted into the tube to allow for plugging. They are required for a coal briquette made by hand to burn more efficiently.

This is how coal is manually briqueted using technology:

1. The raw material should be tried to be pulverized. The smaller the fraction, the stronger and better quality the homemade briquette will be.
2. Pour a little water and stir to make the mixture moldable by hand. Some homemakers add clay as a binder, but this will increase the ash content of the fuel.
3. Pour the mixture into the hopper and from there fill the mold. Press out the briquette by pressing the lever.
4. The lever pushes the product outward during the return stroke. It should then be removed and placed on a sunny area to dry out. The details of pressing are shown in the video:

Briquetting on an extruder

This more efficient approach will cost money to put together a screw press made up of these components:

• body made of a thick-walled steel pipe, ground from the inside to fit the size of the screw, or made of a solid metal billet on a lathe;
• The auger is made of high hardness carbon steel;
• A matrix with one or more holes is made of the same steel;
• an electric motor with a power of at least 4 kW;
• Belt transmission on multi-rib pulleys (at least 3 belts);
• receiving hopper.

Note: A geared transmission can be used in place of a belt transmission, but this will result in the drive being rigidly attached to the shaft. The gearbox or auger may malfunction in the event of an accident.

The hardest parts to manufacture are the housing, die, and screw. It is best to get in touch with an experienced turner for this, as he can also grind multi-strand pulleys to the necessary size. Please take note that the screw rotation speed should not be higher than 200 revolutions per minute when choosing pulley diameters. Circuit breakers must be used to connect the powerful machine motor to the house power supply and to ground it.

Briquetting on an extruder is a relatively simple technology that is implemented in phases:

1. Grind the raw material as far as possible and mix with water to a thick consistency.
2. Turn on the extruder motor and load a portion of the coal mixture into the hopper with a shovel.
3. The "sausages" that emerge from the holes in the die are broken off to the desired length and placed on a rack for drying.

The following video provides a detailed explanation of the process of turning coal into fuel briquettes:

For those looking for economical and efficient heating options, briquetting coal at home presents a viable option. This technology turns a fuel source that was previously messy and inefficient into one that is convenient and manageable by compressing coal dust or fines into briquettes. It not only makes transportation and storage easier, but it also improves combustion efficiency, producing heat that is cleaner and more reliable.

When compared to traditional coal burning, one of the main benefits of coal briquetting is its ability to lessen environmental impact. The process reduces dust and emissions during storage, handling, and combustion by compacting coal into uniform briquettes. Briquette use can also result in more effective combustion, which lowers the amount of particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere.

Moreover, the technology of coal briquetting gives households the ability to manage their energy requirements and lessen their dependency on costly or scarce fuel sources. Because homeowners can make briquettes at home with easily obtained materials and basic equipment, they can guarantee a steady supply of fuel for the duration of the heating season. In addition to having financial advantages, this self-sufficiency makes the system more resilient to fluctuations in the fuel supply.

However, when using coal briquettes for heating, it’s crucial to take safety precautions and appropriate handling methods into account. Maintaining heating appliances and providing adequate ventilation are essential for preventing the accumulation of dangerous gases like carbon monoxide. To maintain compliance with safety standards and environmental regulations, homeowners should also abide by local regulations regarding the use and storage of solid fuels.

In summary, coal briquetting technology presents a feasible choice for homeowners looking for economical, eco-friendly, and effective heating options. This method increases household energy independence, lowers emissions, and improves combustion efficiency by converting raw coal into compact briquettes. Coal briquetting at home can benefit households financially and practically while supporting sustainable heating practices, provided that safety regulations are followed and appropriate safety measures are taken.

We cover a variety of strategies for keeping your home warm and energy-efficient in our guide on insulation and heating for homes. We examine a number of cutting-edge strategies, including the home-use coal briquetting technology. By compacting coal dust or fines into solid blocks, coal briquetting produces clean, efficient burning. This technology minimizes the environmental impact of using coal for heating in a sustainable and economical manner. This post will go over the steps involved in coal briquetting, its advantages, and how homeowners can use it to improve their heating systems.

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