COMPENDIUM OF WASTE BIOMASS CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES

PART I: CONVERSION TO ENERGY DAP

PADISCOR Rice Hull Cylconic Furnace

Philippines, Commercial Crop Residue Process Equipment Main Product Rice Hulls Combustion Furnace Heat for crop drying

Technical Description of Technology:1

Figure 1. Rice Hull Cyclonic Furnace

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http://www.bpre.gov.ph/scripts/cornmecfinder.asp?categ=13 1

COMPENDIUM OF WASTE BIOMASS CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES

PART I: CONVERSION TO ENERGY DAP

Rice hulls are fed into the furnace (Fig. 1) in a cyclonic motion inside the combustion chamber. The cyclonic motion allows the rice hulls to be burned while in suspension. Suspension burning of rice hulls allows the separation of its ash from the air, thus producing a clean flue gas. The flue gas is released on top of the furnace and directed to a fire tube hot water heat exchanger. The hot water is then pumped to another hot water air heat exchanger where drying air is passed through before the drying plenum. The furnace includes an automatic feeder, which controls the fuel carried by air jet and injected tangentially inside the combustion chamber. A rotating grate at the bottom of the furnace discharges the ash continuously at the rate synchronized with the fuel feed rate. Three air inlets strategically located along the periphery of the furnace provide secondary air for better combustion efficiency and temperature control. It reduces the risk of overheating the furnace and at the same time avoids the crystallization of the ash. The furnace has a grate surface area of 0.203 m2 and a combustion space volume of 0.514 m3. It is constructed mainly out of 12.7 cm thick refractory firebricks and enclosed by 0.48 cm thick mild steel plates. An automatic feeder coupled with 2.55 m3/ min centrifugal blower feeds the rice hull. Combustion air is supplied by a 4.53 m3/ min centrifugal blower through three ports. Detailed Process Descriptions: 1. Biomass fuel is feed into the furnace in cyclonic motion inside the combustion chamber. 2. The cyclonic motion allows the biomass fuel to be burned while in suspension. 3. Suspension burning of the biomass fuel also allows separation of the ash of combustion from the air thus producing a pollution-free flue gas. 4. Water is heated by the fire-tube boiler 5. The hot water is pumped to the hot water heat exchanger where the drying air is passed through before the drying column. Operation and Maintenance Requirements:2 1. It must provide uniform feeding of rice hull for uniform combustion. 2. Primary air and secondary air must be provided at certain ratio to provide complete combustion of rice hull. Assumed ratio of primary to secondary air is 25/75 to 35/65. 3. Excess air of over 60 percent is recommended. 4. Ash must be discharged at regular rate to prevent clogging of the combustion chamber. Ash disposal must be synchronized with fuel feeding. 5. Grate area must be 50 to 60 kg/h.m2 or 840 MJ/h.m2. 6. Combustion chamber volume must be 40 to 60 kg/h.m3 or 840 MJ/h.m3.

http://www.retsasia.ait.ac.th/Publications/WREC%202000-UPLB.pdf 2

COMPENDIUM OF WASTE BIOMASS CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES

PART I: CONVERSION TO ENERGY DAP

The biomass furnace that was developed can consume an average of 39 kg of rice hull per hour. Estimated overall thermal efficiency is 61 percent. The average burning efficiency obtained was 96.7%. The relatively high burning efficiency of the furnace may be due to the longer retention time of the char in the grate and sufficient supply of combustion air. Social Considerations The furnace required less labor compared to the traditional rice hull step-grate furnaces. Labor was needed only in loading the rice hull into the feed hopper. Resource assessment made on rice hull indicated that there are a number of rice mills where the drying plant can get fuel. Advantages to Developing Countries Most if not all of the mills dispose the hulls along the highway. However, after the commissioning of the plant, millers started selling their rice hulls instead of giving it for free. The rice hull cyclonic furnace that was developed can also be used in the rural areas to provide heat for crop drying. It can be modified according to the heat load requirement of the clientele. Examples of Real Life Applications Manufacturer: PADISCOR Supplier: Pasig Agr'l Dev't. & Ind'l Supply Corp Address: 1 Lopez Jaena St. Kapasigan, Pasig City Telephone No: 916-0701; 643-5736; 641-1804