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Biomass Fuel
Briquette Press,
Molds, Chopper, Grinder, Composter and
more...
Parts List, Notes and Drawings
Most designs are in
English and metric |
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These designs support our efforts at
Engineers Without Borders Website
Greater Cincinnati
Professionals Facebook
Who We Are and What We Do Video
Part 1
Part 2 |

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How
To Build A Micro Compound Lever Briquette Press
North American lumber standard
1.5 inch
x 3.5 inch(38 mm x 89 mm) {Has English and Metric
Dimensions}, 2 MB, PDF
↓Translated
to the following languages↓
Arabic,
Bengali,
Chinese (Simplified),
Chinese (Traditional),
Czech,
French,
German,
Hindi,
Japanese,
Korean,
Persian,
Polish,
Portuguese,
Spanish,
Swahili,
Urdu,
Vietnamese
This small press works well for single-family use, classroom demonstrations,
or a small village. It features a small footprint and easy to build press using hand
tools are required. There are two versions, Brace or Notch.
Video
describing biomass briquette press.
Video about building the biomass press
by:
Ms. Firtle in Greece
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How To Build A Micro Compound Lever Briquette
Press using 40mm x 100mm
Lumber Here are dimensions for a special metric lumber size of 40 mm x 100 mm for
the brace version. 1.3 MB, PDF, Metric Only
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How
To Build Biomass Molds {English and Metric
Dimensions}, PDF, 6 MB
↓Translated
to the following languages↓
Arabic,
Bengali,
Chinese (Simplified),
Chinese (Traditional),
Czech,
French,
German,
Hindi,
Japanese,
Korean,
Persian,
Polish,
Portuguese,
Spanish,
Swahili,
Urdu,
Vietnamese
This document is about
choices. Briquetting for any operation requires a biomass
mold of one type or another, whether it is a small village,
single family, or classroom operation. You have choices
and there are no wrong or right, best or worst, good or bad
molds for making biomass briquettes.
A variety of molds will
work equally well and one type may be best suited for you
depending on the availability of construction materials, tools, cost, skill level, and briquetting requirements. This
document provides choices to consider when selecting a
biomass mold design.
Molds for shaping biomass into round, square, sticks, cubes
and chunks. Drilled, slotted, and split PVC molds along
with slotted wood as an alternate to PVC. Two caulking gun presses, split plunger pistons and more.
See
Video for Split-Mold
testing.
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Biomass Fuel Briquette Formulations
(English)
↓Translated
to the following languages↓
Bengali,
Chinese
(Simplified),
Chinese (Traditional),
French,
Japanese,
Korean,
Persian,
Portuguese,
Russian,
Spanish,
Swahili,
Urdu,
Vietnamese
Courtesy Richard Stanley at the
Legacy Foundation
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Caulking Gun Briquette
Experiment
by: Dr. Zan Smith Good for classroom
demonstrations, formulation testing or small production
runs.
See
the updated version for this press in:
How
To Build Biomass Molds.
Caulking Gun Press by Joshua Guinto
(See
How To Build Biomass Molds for details)
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How
To Build A Dry Biomass Grinder/Thrasher 2.5 MB PDF
Video describing the
Dry Biomass Grinder Thrasher
University of Nottingham uses the press and
grinder for Kenya project; See
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/etc/news-SIFEKenya.php
The grinder was designed to grind a wide variety of dry biomasses,
be low-cost and easy to build using mostly hand tools, easy to
operate, easy to maintain and require no welding.
The grinding process is
accomplished by rotating a concrete grinding head with its
aggregate exposed against a matching concrete grinding cup
with its aggregate exposed, and introducing biomass in
between the two surfaces. The grinding cup is supported with
two degrees of freedom in order to absorb the movement from
an out-of-round grinding head or the accidental introduction
of small stones or stick into the grinding space. The
grinding head is easily rotated using a hand crank at a slow
speed (under 90 rpm). The unit can be powered from a
bicycle, a foot powered treadle, a gasoline motor or an
electric motor. Grinding pressure is easily adjusted by the
weight of a few rocks in a pail. See the
Engineering For Change page E4C |
 
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Portable Thrasher-Masher-Chopper
By the
Legacy FoundationI recommend you consider this new
design by Richard Stanley from the Legacy Foundation. Preparing biomass for
briquette production remains a crucial step in the briquetting process.
Richard has developed (fine tuned and tested in rural Guatemala and
Nicaragua over the past three years) a very successful idea as described in
his new construction manual.
Designing a low cost grinder featuring ease
of use, and easy to build, has been a challenge for both of us. We often
work closely together in a effort to bring you the best ideas possible. You
can contact Richard
HERE |
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How
To Build A Biomass Copper-Cutter 600K PDF
Spanish Version Here
Video describing the Easy BioChop Wet-Dry Biomass Chopper Cutter
See Biomass Chopper by Joshua Guinto
Video test cutting prairie grass for a biogas project at the Cincinnati Zoo
The chopper/cutter was designed to cut both wet and dry
biomass. The chopper is easy to build using mostly hand tools, easy
to operate, easy to maintain and requires no welding. The
unit runs efficiently at a low crank speed and can be easily
operated by women or children. See the
Engineering For Change page E4C
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Virginia Tech has modified the original design to satisfy their needs:
Read Details Here
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How
To Build A Biomass Composer
– Rotatable and Portable 2.6 MB, PDF
Spanish Version
Using either a plastic or steel
drum you can easily fabricate a barrel composter for the aeration
of biomass
that is both rotatable and portable. |


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How To Build A Large
Compound-Lever Biomass Briquette Press
340K, PDF
This is the traditional large
compound lever press used all over the world, and works with molds diameters
from 3 inch to 6 inch.
Mold designs have greatly improved since the
original design of this press and we suggest downloading the
How To Build Biomass Molds. See the compendium for a variety of biomass mold
suggestions. |
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How To Build A Small Single-Lever Square Biomass Briquette Press
570K, PDF If PVC is not available
or expensive in your area then the 3 inch square wood
mold could be an alternate.
Mold
designs have greatly improved since the original design of
this press and we suggest downloading:
How To Build Biomass Molds
for a variety of biomass mold suggestions. We
now have a better method for making a square briquette using
a wood mold. |
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How To Build A Small Biomass Briquette Press
English, 880K, PDF
How To Build A Small Biomass Briquette Press
French, 600K, PDF
Suggested for use as a
classroom demonstration briquetting press or where
construction resources are limited Mold
designs have greatly improved since the original design of
this press and we suggest downloading:
How To Build Biomass Molds.
See the compendium for a variety of biomass mold
suggestions. |


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How To Build A Large Single-Lever Biomass Briquette Press
English,
400K, PDF
If the large compound lever press is inappropriate for your needs then a
large single lever press might work in your area. Includes removal jig. Mold
designs have greatly improved since the original design of
this press and we suggest downloading:
How To Build Biomass Molds.
See the compendium for a variety of biomass mold
suggestions. |

Briquetting Video
by The Legacy Foundation
Briquette Ratchet Press by The Legacy Foundation
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If
you have not read the briquetting instructions available at the
Legacy foundation, I highly recommend reading them thoroughly prior
to starting a briquetting operation. They also have several biomass
briquette presses made from metal. See them
HERE
The Legacy Foundation provides training, technology and
media services for biomass fuel briquette production, environmental
conservation and income generation throughout the world. They have a number of excellent manuals on
briquetting. Visit them
HERE |
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Producing Fuel Briquettes from Sugarcane Waste
600K, PDF
By: Chesta Tiwari Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Sheffield
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Development of Rice Husk Briquettes for Use as a Fuel
80K, PDF
By: D.B. Yahaya and T.G. Lbrahim
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bayero University, Kano |
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Adaptable as a Cheese Press as described by
this thread on the
CheeseForum.org

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Adaptable as a Compressed Earth Block/Brick
Press (CEB) as described by Amedean Messan in this thread on Permies.com
Additional organizations have
built the press:
Joshua (Jed) Guinto from Philippines
Pix-1, Pix 2,
Video for Jed Guinto and Coastal
Core Sorsogon;
Instructables, Permies.com |
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Feasibility of Biomass Fuel Briquettes from Banana Plant Waste 2.7 MB,
PDF
Spanish Version Here
By Lee Hite and Dr. Zan Smith
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See the
Stack-fed, Heat
Exchanger, Biomass Briquette Stove
by: Harold Westerich, Redwood City, CA
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ALSO, see Norman Desrosiers,
and what he
has done
to heat his home.
download his
PowerPoint, 4 MB, pptx Norm has done a lot of experimenting and developed meaningful
enhancements to the process. |
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Burning
chilli will keep elephants at bay, new study finds
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How to Make Fuel Briquettes Without a Press
By: Joyce Lockard rj.lockard@frontier.com
Fuel Briquette Team, Beaverton Rotary Club in OR, USA, 2
MB, PDF |
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Additional Fuel Briquetting Info
The
Briquetting of Agricultural Waste for Fuel 515K, PDF
Biomass
Briquettes Turning Waste Into Energy 235K,
PDF Biomass
Briquetting Technology and Practices FAQ 225K, PDF |
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Briquetting and Stoves Groups
Fuel Briquetting Group
Biomass Stoves Group
TChar Technology
for Cookstoves By: Paul Anderson, Christa Roth and
Robert
Fairchild
- Calculators and Converters
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Caloric Value Of Raw
Materials |
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Caloric Value Of
Fuel Materials |
Raw Materials |
KCal / Kg |
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Raw Materials |
KCal / Kg |
Bagasse (sugar Cane) |
4,200 |
|
Arhar Stalk |
4,000 |
Bamboo Dust |
3,700 |
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White
Coal Briquette |
4,000 |
Bark (wood) |
3,900 |
|
Char Coal |
6,000 |
Castor Seed Shell |
4,000 |
|
Coal Grade 'B' |
5,000 |
Coffee Husk |
4,200 |
|
Coal Grade 'C' |
4,000 |
Coir Pitch |
4,000 |
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Diesel |
9,400 |
Cotton Stalk |
3,800 |
|
Fire Wood |
3,300 |
Ground Nut Shell |
4,000 |
|
Heavy Furnace Oil |
9,900 |
Jute Waste |
4,500 |
|
Kerosene |
8,900 |
Maize Stalks |
3,800 |
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Lpg |
9,400 |
Mustard Husk |
4,500 |
|
Saw Dust |
4,000 |
Pine Needles |
4,000 |
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Sugar Cane Trash |
3,500 |
Rice Husk |
3,500 |
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Sugar Mill Waste |
3,300 |
Rice Straw |
3,500 |
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Wheat Straw |
3,700 |
Sar Khanda Grass |
3,700 |
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Source
www.biomassbriquetting.com/briquetting-plant-india.php |
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We provide designs on this web site as "open source" but we do ask
that credit and a link be provided back to this site. Thank you.
 About me: I am a retired electronics engineer with a passion for
investigating technical issues, occasionally surrounded with mystery and
often bridging several fields of technology.
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Leland Hite (Lee) K8CLI
www.leehite.org
All Rights Reserved
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