It is difficult to deny that compressed sawdust briquettes are one of the most effective types successfully used for heating residential buildings. They have a high calorie content (about 5 kW are released from 1 kg during combustion), and have a low ash content. Such briquettes are very convenient in storage and warehousing, as they fold compactly and take up very little space.
True, such fuel cannot be considered cheap: not every family can afford to heat their home with firewood throughout the season. This raises a reasonable question - is it possible to somehow make wonderful fuel briquettes with your own hands. This is especially true in those cases when raw materials can be purchased almost at a bargain price. Fortunately, such methods exist, and they can differ from each other. Let's consider some of them.
To get a clear idea of \u200b\u200bhow to make it yourself, you first need to find out how they are made in a factory environment.
Raw material
Any of the available methods precedes the preparatory stage, during which the raw material is crushed and dried.
The raw materials are sawdust and some larger pieces of wood waste. Drying is carried out until the humidity indicators approach 8-10 percent. Interestingly, all kinds of agro-industrial waste (for example, husks or seed husks) and coal dust can also be used as raw materials for Eurowood.
Briquetting
Next manufacturing process- this is sawdust pressing, or briquetting. Today this can be done in two different ways:
- Extrusion method;
- Forming briquettes on a special hydraulic press.
In both cases, as a result of powerful squeezing of the crushed wood, lignin, a special natural substance, begins to be released from it. It is he who becomes the binder for the crumbly mass of raw materials. The difference between the processes is only in different compression methods. In one case, a hydraulic press is used, capable of developing a force of up to 300-600 bar.
From the force of this compression, the chopped wood is heated, and this contributes to the formation of a solid rectangular briquette.
With another method, extrusion, wood raw material is poured into a special bunker of the unit, and, by analogy with a meat grinder, moves with a screw into a conical working channel, which narrows. It is there that the compression takes place, during which the screw press develops an incredibly powerful force of up to one thousand bar.
When ready, firewood made from sawdust in the form of hexagons comes out of the extruder. Before that, they undergo heat treatment, and are cut with a special knife to the exact size.
Fuel briquettes at home
It is absolutely unrealistic to imagine a situation where someone decides to purchase such a powerful unit that can press briquettes at home. Even if finances allow this, and the raw materials will be obtained for free, it will be possible to recoup the purchase only in the event of a large-scale sale of the manufactured fuel.
In other words, it is clear that it will not be possible to implement the traditional method in which lignin would be released at home. But numerous home craftsmen have learned through trial and error to use other binders.
Raw materials and preparation
- corrugated cardboard, paper;
- the cheapest, for example, wallpaper;
- clay.
To make fuel briquettes at home, it is not at all necessary to purchase expensive pressing and drying equipment. At home, things are different.
Savvy homeowners have gotten the hang of pressing heating briquettes from a variety of available materials that can burn:
- from ,
- leaves,
- straw,
- cardboard,
- seed husks, etc.
- Sawdust is placed in water, clay is added there in a ratio of 1 to 10, mixed well, then inexpensive wallpaper paste or soaked cardboard is added to the composition.
- The mixture obtained in this way is placed in a homemade pressing mold, and the force of the hands is squeezed as tightly as possible.
- The molded rectangles are taken out of the mold and laid out to dry outside, in a natural way.
Manual screw mechanism
The simplest press for the production of fuel bars, which you can make yourself, has a manual drive.
The design of this mechanism is extremely simple. But the performance of such a screw device is low - this explains their low popularity.
A special molding container with holes is filled with the finished mixture, the screw is tightly twisted, creating increased pressure.
When using them, a lot of time is spent on filling the container, twisting the mold and removing the molded briquette.
Brick ejection mechanism
It is much easier and much faster to extrude the formed briquettes on another press. It is also homemade, but it has a long lever and a special device for pushing a brick. To speed up the process, some weld not one form, but a pair, to the frame.
Some craftsmen are able to make other equipment, more advanced. How to increase the productivity of a manual machine? By installing a hydraulic jack instead of a manual drive. Of course, for the manufacture of such a unit will have to make a lot of effort, but the result is worth it.
Note! To create a pressure reaching at least 300 bar in a home-made press will not work even with the help of a hydraulic jack. It is unlikely that it will be possible to reproduce factory technology at home without adding water.
screw press
However, some craftsmen, despite the difficulties with the details, managed to make a screw press. With its help, it is possible to produce heating bricks of fairly high quality.
Craftsmen write about this on the forums, but at the same time they note the rather high costs for the high-strength steel body and the manufacture of auger parts. Of course, in this case, you can not do without an electric drive. You will need an engine of at least 7 kW power.
Fuel briquettes at home - pros and cons
The reasons for the attractiveness of this type of fuel are quite understandable.
If a person has the opportunity to purchase cheap sawdust, or if suddenly he is the owner of a small wood production, then it is quite natural to want to make briquettes on his own.
Why not burn the actual wood waste?
- The fact is that not every technique is capable of burning sawdust directly.
- Usually, wood chips burn out very quickly and inefficiently, and even part of it falls into the ash pan.
Special equipment
For efficient combustion small wood waste will require a special top burning boiler or shaft type.
- It is almost impossible to make one on your own, the prospect of compressing waste into briquettes looks much more realistic. Although here everything is not as simple as it seems;
- It is unreasonably expensive to purchase factory equipment, and few people can afford it;
- Cheaper to buy yourself
- Of course, a briquetting press can be made in a handicraft way. But the resulting fuel will be of low quality, and their heat transfer will not be so high.
Why is heat transfer low?
The fact is that it is virtually impossible to reproduce the factory technology, observing all the nuances, at home:
- The resulting "" have a low density and, accordingly, a small weight.
- The specific heat of combustion is almost three times less than that of wood.
- Therefore, for the same heating, three times more home-made briquettes will be required.
- The process of making them takes a lot of time and effort. Although, if they are, why not?
- By the way, such fuel should be carefully stored so that it is not saturated with moisture.
Do-it-yourself fuel briquettes - yes or no?
do on homemade equipment real fuel briquettes, of course, you can.
The main thing is to have enough time for this, as well as free space for drying and storing products.
Not the last role is played by the availability of sawdust: it is desirable that they do not have to be bought expensively or delivered from afar. In this case, the idea would not make sense at all - it would be much more efficient to purchase a large truckload of firewood.
Whatever the case, it's up to the owner.
The search for an alternative type of fuel sometimes leads to unexpected results. And it all started with wood - the mother of all modern coolants. And it would seem that she was finally lost against the backdrop of cheap gas, efficient diesel fuel or exotic. But the time has come to take a fresh look at the tree and the reason for this was the emergence of a new product - a fuel briquette, or, as they are also called, eurowood.
They are a compressed mass, consisting in most cases of wood waste (sawdust, shavings, etc.). Briquettes may differ in composition, shape and method of production. But regardless of these parameters, they all have certain physical properties.
The physical properties of the briquettes fully correspond to the tree, since it is it that is included in their composition. But there are certain performance differences.
The main problem of simple firewood is an increased moisture content and ash content. When any type of wood is burned, a certain amount of minerals remains. For many breeds, this parameter ranges from 1.2 to 3% of the total mass. At the same time, due to the primary processing of raw materials before the production of briquettes, the ash content can be reduced to 0.7%.
There is also the so-called external ash - mineral substances that got into the firewood during their harvesting, transportation or storage. These impurities can be included in the composition with 15% content. Briquettes are completely free from this "unnecessary" component.
The calorific value (transfer of internal energy to the environment) for firewood has a maximum value of 3000 kcal / kg. For briquettes, this value ranges from 4400 to 5200 kcal/kg.
You can sum it up with a small table of characteristics of briquettes:
Knowing these data, you can professionally choose one or another type of briquette fuel. But before that, it is worth considering their advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages:
- High calorific value.
- During combustion, a small amount of CO2 is released - several orders of magnitude lower than that of coal or gas.
- Minimal ash formation, which can later be used as a mineral fertilizer.
- Convenient form for storage.
- Higher density compared to conventional wood. This allows you to get enough heat with smaller briquettes.
Flaws:
- Briquettes are more expensive than regular firewood. But their efficiency is much higher.
- Organization of a special place of storage.
There are several types of this fuel, each of which differs in the degree of processing and form.
Cylindrical
In most cases, this is pressed wood pulp of a cylindrical shape, it is they who are often called eurofirewood.
The advantage of this technology is the minimum configuration of the production line and high productivity.
Geometric dimensions:
- Diameter: 60-90 mm.
- Length: from 50 to 350 mm.
Rectangular
This type of briquettes is firmly entrenched in another name - RUF. It was borrowed from the manufacturer of press equipment - the German company Ruf.
They have a rectangular shape and are easy to store. In their production, no special additives are used, only pure sawdust. Equipment for this form of briquettes is supplied by several European companies. And despite its low price, the quality of products almost always remains at a high level.
Geometric dimensions - 65 * 95 * 150 mm.
multifaceted
The main problem of the above products is the fear of moisture. To solve this problem, special equipment was developed that allows not only pressing, but also performing external heat treatment of briquettes.
Their shape can be 4-sided or 6-sided. As a result of exposure to temperature, the surface acquires a dark brown color and a protective moisture-resistant layer is formed. Another feature is the high pressure of the press - up to 1100 bar. This increases the density of the product and, accordingly, its efficiency during combustion.
Fuel briquette is an alternative material that allows you to quickly and efficiently kindle a stove or fireplace and warm up the room. However, it has many other advantages. Today, this type of fuel is becoming very popular. Let's look at why.
Advantages of the presented material
So, the main advantages of these elements are the following.
1. Making a fuel briquette with your own hands is quite simple, so you can do it yourself using simple devices - presses. In addition, you can even organize your own business.
2. Long duration of burning. The briquette can burn from 1 to 4 hours. At the same time, it constantly emits heat.
3. The minimum amount of smoke, sparks.
4. Ecological cleanliness, as they are made from plant and other natural materials with their own hands.
5. Profitability. The cost of one ton of such fuel is much less than the same amount of coal or firewood. At the same time, the energy efficiency is much better.
6. Practicality. The ash that is formed after the combustion of briquettes can be used as fertilizer.
7. Easy storage. The presented material does not take up much space, it can be in plastic bags. At the same time, it can be stored for a long time in conditions of high humidity.
8. Application in all types of fuel equipment: fireplaces, boilers, stoves.
9. Unpretentiousness in storage.
Applications of the material
Before you make a fuel briquette with your own hands, you need to figure out where it can be used. Most often, the material is used for heating residential buildings, educational institutions, catering establishments.
In addition, fuel briquettes can be used in warehouses where wood materials are dried and stored. Industrial enterprises the presented type of fuel is also often used in combination with other materials. In any case, the presented material is the most efficient and economical, especially in comparison with other types of fuel.
What raw materials are used in production?
Before you make a fuel briquette with your own hands, you need to select the necessary source material and equipment. First, let's figure out what the product can be made of. So, wood and plant waste is most often used in production.
For example, you can make a briquette at home from vegetable husks, sawdust, straw. In addition, it is also allowed to use materials such as fallen leaves, shavings, dry plant stems, chips, seed husks for production.
Naturally, for the production you will also need water, clay and other substances that can glue the raw materials together. In some cases starch may be added. In general, you can use for the manufacture of briquettes any combustible garbage that lies uselessly on your territory.
Applied equipment
In order to make a fuel briquette with your own hands, you need to choose the right press or chipper. When choosing a press, it is necessary to decide what shape and area the elements will have. Most often, round and rectangular briquettes are made.
Among the professional equipment, one can single out a screw, shock-mechanical and hydraulic press. The first apparatus is capable of producing octagonal elements with a small hole in the center. They are characterized by maximum density, therefore, they provide the highest burning time. produces rectangular elements with the smallest density, which ensures high material consumption. Making fuel briquettes at home using a shock-mechanical device gives you the opportunity to make material of any shape. At the same time, the elements have an average density.
You can make a machine for making briquettes at home. To do this, you will need a simple press and a mold (a sewer pipe with drilled holes). Please note that during the manufacture of the presented product, you will need to take into account the length of the firebox.
Material manufacturing technology
The production of fuel briquettes consists of several stages:
1. First you need to grind the waste that will be used to produce the elements.
2. Dry clay should be added to the same container, which will serve as a link.
3. Now you need to add water to this mixture. Moreover, the gruel should not be too liquid or thick. In any case, the mass should be well molded. In addition, the density of the briquette depends on the amount of water.
4. The resulting mixture must be poured into the mold and flattened with a press. Make sure that as much water as possible comes out of the gruel. After that, the resulting products must be thoroughly dried in the sun. In order for them to be durable, each element should be overlaid with paper or rags. After complete drying, all briquettes can be put together.
When you press the raw material with a press, you will have to put in a lot of effort to squeeze as much water out of the mixture as possible.
Do-it-yourself production of fuel briquettes is quite simple, although laborious. Please note that the humidity of each product should not exceed 13%. In order for the element to burn better, paper can be added during manufacture, which must be torn into small pieces. And so that all the constituent parts stick together better, a little starch can be added to the mixture.
Please note that for various kinds heating appliances you will need different briquettes. For example, peat and birch elements are well suited for fireplaces. For barbecues, it is better to use eurofirewood or wood briquettes. They can both burn and slowly smolder. In addition, they practically do not emit any carcinogenic or other harmful substances.
Now you know how to make a fuel briquette with your own hands. Good luck!
Modern energy material - fuel briquettes, are used as solid fuel. They are a replacement for "classic" firewood and are produced by pressing waste from the woodworking industry: shavings, sawdust, chips, etc. Some types of such briquettes are made from sunflower husks, straw and similar materials. Such fuel has a high potential and can completely replace firewood.
Eco-wood or fuel briquettes
Eurobriquettes are the same firewood. They are made from wood. But the structure distinguishes them from ordinary firewood. The crushed chips are dried and pressed into a form convenient for use. This allows them to have an efficiency five times greater than that of firewood.
Fuel briquettes were invented by practical Germans. Or rather, the German specialist H. Ruff. He developed special equipment that gave sawdust the shape of a brick. The standard briquette, which was obtained in this way, was named after the inventor - Ruf (ruf). After this discovery, the production of ruf briquettes spread throughout the world. Including to Russia. Where, thanks to large forest reserves, the woodworking industry is well developed.
The technology for the production of fuel briquettes is simple. Dry chips and sawdust are loaded into a special compartment, where excess moisture is removed from them. After that, the mass is subjected to briquetting under high temperature. A press with a pressure of 250 atmospheres creates a briquette, which is characterized by ultra-low humidity. It is 5-6 times less than the moisture content of ordinary firewood.
Eurobriquettes are very common in Europe today. They are used not only for fireplaces or saunas, but also for heating ordinary houses. For this purpose, special ovens are used. Their design allows you to warm up a large room using a minimum amount of "euro firewood".
Types of "eurowood"
Today you can buy briquettes of various types. All of them are divided according to the materials from which they are made and the shape. They got their name from the manufacturer who first made them and introduced them to the market:
- Round. (Nestro). One of the most popular in our country. They have a cylindrical shape with a length of 50-400 mm and a diameter of 55-90 mm. This form is given to them by a high-pressure press. And the material is crushed wood. In its form, the briquette “copies” ordinary firewood and is highly environmentally friendly.
IMPORTANT: When choosing round briquettes, inspect their shape and dimensions. High-quality briquettes must have a diameter of at least 80 mm and a length of 250 mm. Unfortunately, today there are such briquettes Low quality having more "modest" dimensions. They are produced on equipment with which it is impossible to achieve the required density.
- Bricks (Ruf). This "classic" form of "eurowood" appeared earlier than others. They are produced by pressing on equipment specially designed for this purpose. No other materials are added to chips and sawdust. Ruf-briquettes are sometimes called "eco-wood".
IMPORTANT: Unlike round ones, these "euro firewood" are practically never bad. The only thing to consider. That it is better not to buy such fuel briquettes from birch dust waste. The fact is that they are made from the remains of plywood, in the manufacture of which formaldehyde is used. They have a characteristic white color and fine grain.
- Pini kay. They are "euro firewood" with the shape of an irregular polygon in section. From above they are covered with a dark crust, and in the center they have a hole. The name of these briquettes was given by their first manufacturer - the Pini&Kay factory (Austria). These "firewood" after pressing are also fired (hence the characteristic color). That allows them to increase durability and resistance to moisture. But the price of such briquettes is higher than the others. The hole in the center allows such briquettes to burn better. Therefore, they are chosen not only for heating, but also for the aesthetic enjoyment of fire. For example, for fireplaces. "Eurodrova" Pini-Key is very popular in Moscow.
When choosing "euro firewood" it is important to pay attention not only to the form, but also to the materials from which they are made:
- Tree. These fuel briquettes have a high specific heat of combustion. And it loses only to briquettes from seed husks. The ash content of wooden "euro firewood" is 0.5% -2.5%. That is, similar to that of ordinary firewood.
- Husk of seeds. Briquettes, which have the highest calorific value and low ash content. The composition of the husk includes oil, which increases the combustion rate when used in briquettes. The disadvantage of such "euro firewood" is the high level of soot. But they can be used in solid fuel boilers.
- Straw. They have less heat dissipation than those listed above. But due to the great potential of use, they are becoming more and more popular. Straw fuel material has a high ash content.
- Tyrsa. These "euro firewood" are made from the dried straw of the perennial tyrsa plant. They have similar indicators of sweat heat transfer and ash content with straw.
- Rice husk. Briquettes have the lowest calorific value and a very high ash content. The husk that remains in large quantities after rice processing is an alternative fuel and should be used. Rice husk briquettes have the lowest cost.
The advantage of fuel briquettes over firewood
The main advantage of "Eurowood" over classic firewood is the combustion temperature. This figure for briquettes is twice as high. With normal humidity, firewood can “give out” 2700 kcal / kg of heat, and then only in the best case. Briquettes during combustion give out up to 4900 kcal / kg. Everything is simple here and there is no magic. It's all about humidity. And, as you know, it is very low for Eurowood (8%).
Another advantage of fuel briquettes is their density. This indicator is important for burning time. Those who use oak firewood know. That they burn longer than softwood firewood. The thing is that oak wood is denser. The same applies to the fuel briquette. It has a density (0.97-1 g / cm 3), which surpasses even the density of oak (0.81 g / cm 3).
Fuel eurobriquettes have the best compactness. Especially "Eurowood" Ruf and Pini-key. This is due to their correct shape. They are easy to fold and at the same time, they will not have voids between them. The compactness of eurobriquettes exceeds that of firewood by 2-3 times.
Briquettes are highly environmentally friendly. They are made only from natural wood. Due to this, no harmful substances are released into the air during combustion. Due to this, they are very popular in the city of Moscow.
Also worth noting is the following benefits eurobriquettes:
- Slight soot emission
- Uniform burning
- High calorific value
Of course, it was not without drawbacks. The main one is the cost of fuel briquettes. Their price is higher than that of firewood. But it is important to consider the cost per unit of heat. And here the "Eurodrones" have no rivals. A briquette is the best source of heat for a house according to this indicator.
It is also worth noting such a disadvantage as the fear of moisture. Unlike ordinary firewood, briquettes need to be stored where precipitation will not fall on them and the humidity of the room will be low.
Fuel briquettes have high performance, so they are increasingly used for heating houses, saunas and baths.
"Eurowood" is an excellent replacement for traditional materials: ordinary firewood, coal, etc. Many manufacturers of boilers and fireplaces produce models of such products specifically for heating with briquettes, which make it possible to achieve maximum efficiency of this type of fuel during combustion.
IN Lately it has become fashionable to use not only traditional fuel in the form of firewood for kindling stoves, but also other, alternative options. For example, natural materials pressed under high temperature are becoming increasingly popular: sawdust, peat, straw, etc. Created from biological waste, 100% natural and environmentally friendly, fuel briquettes allow you to effectively and inexpensively drink a house, a bathhouse.
In this article we will talk about how to make fuel briquettes with your own hands from improvised materials. To do this, you will need to buy or make suitable waste recycling equipment and learn how to properly make euro firewood. Making fuel briquettes with your own hands will allow you to solve several problems at once:
- get rid of waste;
- obtain efficient and technologically advanced fuel for home heating;
- save money on wood.
Homemade fuel briquettes can be of any shape
Main advantages
Fuel briquettes are modern look alternative fuel. They can be used in any stoves, fireplaces, boilers, barbecues, barbecues. Eurobriquettes are cylindrical blanks resembling firewood, or rectangular bricks. Small dimensions allow to place them in furnaces of any size.
What are briquettes made of? Most often, wood is used (sawdust, shavings, dust), but straw, paper, peat, coal, seed or nut husks, and even manure are also used. The composition of the eurobriquette can vary significantly, depending on which technology is used in the production.
At the same time, all types of raw materials from which wood firewood can be produced are natural, absolutely natural. Making fuel briquettes at home will allow you to create an environmentally friendly product that will almost completely burn in the furnace and at the same time emit a minimum of smoke.
A home-made eurobriquette can be used to kindle a sauna stove or heat a house. Since the raw material is compressed quite strongly and the amount of moisture is minimal, the fuel briquette burns for a long time, constantly releasing a large amount of heat. An interesting point was noticed by people who are already actively using such fuel: if you melt your barbecue with eco-wood and fry food on it, it does not ignite if it gets on the briquettes of fat.
Warehouse for handicraft ready-made ecro-briquettes
For solid fuel stoves, boilers and fireplaces, great option become briquettes from sawdust. They slowly flare up, but after burning for a long time and emit a large amount of heat. This is explained high density pressed wood products. The heat transfer from briquettes significantly exceeds the level of heat obtained during the combustion of even the driest firewood, which took at least a year.
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