In the process of oil production from sunflower seed waste is generated - husk. They accumulate tens of tons at the enterprise. Currently, fuel pellets are made from sunflower husk. Read about it in the article.
What are pellets?
These are granules obtained from crushed raw materials by pressing. They have a cylindrical shape and a solid consistency. For their production, various natural materials are used: wood, straw, peat, husk of cereal crops, as well as sunflower husk. Pellets from it are a by-product of the production of sunflower oil. The density of the granules is a little more than one thousand kilograms per meter cubic volume.
Typically, the granules have a length of 50 mm and their diameter reaches 4-10 cm. The color of the high-quality granule is gray and the surface is glossy, on which there should be no defects in the form of cracks. If they are found during inspection, this is a poor-quality product. Consumers faced with similar problems believe that during the production process the technology was broken or the air in the room was too humid, above the permissible norm. The granules must be dry. This is determined by their weight.
Pellets as an alternative to traditional fuel
Natural resources are depleted every year. This has become one of the global problems in the life of modern society. In this regard, it is granules, as an alternative to traditional fuel, that will help humanity bring its resolution closer. Indeed, for the production of granules, natural raw materials are used, which in industry and agriculture are waste and must be destroyed. It is noteworthy that in many industries the husk is stored, rots and often becomes a source of ignition. According to consumer reviews, the production of pellets for many regions is a salvation from environmental troubles.
According to scientists, the production of pellets under certain conditions can be a problem. The fact is that plant waste after rotting forms the basis of soil fertility. If all of them are removed and used as raw materials for the production of pellets, the soil will become poorer, you can not expect a good harvest. Over time, plants can stop growing altogether. In this regard, production should be very well planned, without prejudice to soil fertility. But at this time there is no reason for unrest. The explanation is simple. If you take any plant, then 60% of it has a direct purpose, and the rest is waste. Therefore, this problem, according to industrialists, has not been destined to become relevant for a long time, which is very pleasing.
Characteristics of sunflower husk pellets
Pellets from natural raw materials such as husks are characterized by the following indicators:
- Do not self-ignite if the ambient temperature rises, since there are no hidden pores in them.
- The bulk weight of pellets from sunflower husk, reviews of which are mostly positive, is six times more than that of the feedstock.
- When burning pellets, the released combustion products do not have a negative effect on humans.
- The calorific value of pellets from the husks of sunflower is greater compared to wood.
- The thermal energy released during fuel combustion will be the same if we take a different number of its individual types. For example, coal - 2000 kg, wood - 3200 kg, fuel oil - 1317 liters.
- According to consumers, the pellets burn in the furnace “together”, there is little ash, not more than 1-3% of the total amount of pellets burned.
- This type of fuel has a significant advantage - renewability. All natural resources are endowed with this quality, but to a different degree. Sunflower husk, for example, appears in large volumes in the fall.
Types of Pellets
Pellets are produced in black and white. They differ in the way of firing. Black granules, bio-angles, burn without using oxygen. The process is carried out at high temperature - 300 about . They are easier to store, since moisture does not absorb moisture on the surface. Pellets can be stored even on the street without any canopy, they are not afraid of rainfall: rain or snow. The advantage of black pellets, according to consumers, is that they do not mold, do not swell and do not rot. During storage, their integrity and shape are preserved, and when burning heat, much more is released in comparison with white granules.
Pellet production from sunflower husk
Due to many advantages, the demand for sunflower husk pellets is growing. Pellets are increasingly becoming a competitive type of fuel. All over the world, pellet production technology has been used since 1947, in our country - relatively recently. The production of granules is carried out using modern equipment and does not differ much from the technological process for the production of granules from peat or wood. Innovative equipment is crushers, granulators, hopper fractions, conveyors. Their use improves the quality of the granules and increases their production.
First, the feed goes through a preliminary drying step. Thanks to this process, husk moisture reaches not more than 14-15%. Drying technology is different. After this, the sunflower husk is crushed. For this, a hammer crusher is used.
The crushed raw materials are processed by steam or hot water and only then enters another line, into the pellet chamber of the granulator. Finished products are cooled, cleaned of crumbs and fed to the warehouse. Pellets are packed in bags, but most often they are stored in a bunker or on site in bulk.
The benefits of granules
Pellets made from the husks of sunflower have several advantages:
- Ecological - in their composition there are no chemicals, spores of plants, seeds that cause allergic reactions.
- Profitability - the cost of granules is low, especially in the regions where sunflower grows.
- Functionality - granules can be stored for a long time, since their biochemical activity is low.
- Relatively low price, without seasonal increases. According to consumer reviews, this is a valuable advantage of this type of fuel.
- The absence of special storage conditions that do not require additional space. This is due to the fact that the granules have a high bulk density.
- The absence of difficulties during transportation, as the pellets have standard sizes and they have flowability. This is especially true for hard-to-reach areas of our country, where it is not possible to use traditional fuels. Pellets from the husks of sunflower come to the rescue, as they can be transported at any distance.
- The possibility of using an automated combustion process without a long-term intervention for maintenance, which is associated with low zoning.
Prospects for use
Before they began to produce pellets, from the husks of sunflower they made fly for use in agricultural needs. However, today husks have found a more practical application: they produce solid consistency fuel, which has recently been increasingly used by industrial enterprises as well as private individuals. At home, stoves are heated with pellets, and in industrial production they go to kindling boilers.
Despite the fact that this product appeared on the market relatively recently, it managed to gain popularity among consumers. Demand for fuel is increasing annually by 30%. For example, the Swedish government has developed a program according to which the consumption of pellets will increase annually and amount to seven million tons. In the UK, this figure will reach 600,000 tons.
Dark-colored sunflower husk pellets are widely used in animal husbandry. They are soaked in water, the resulting solution is used for livestock feed.
Simple recommendations
Good advice on the acquisition, storage and use of granules will never be in vain.
- You need to purchase pellets from trusted suppliers.
- The granules must be of high quality.
- For storage, a dry room is used, near which there is never an open flame.
- To use the pellets, a special boiler is required.