In the present era of neck-to-neck competition, the cost of production plays vital role. As the price of liquid fuels, especially furnace oil are growing at steeper rate than solid fuel price, substitution of furnace oil to solid briquette is one of the alternative available. In the war of globalization only fittest can survive. Furnace oil used in Boiler or Thermic oil heater can be totally substituted by Briquette with an equivalent ratio of 2.7: 1 Kg/lit on the basis of calorific value. This usually results in saving of more than 60% in operating cost and will have attractive payback period of 2-3 months.
Very rarely boilers are fired at full load. Simple conversion via internal grate or external grate, which requires only removal of its existing burner-blower assembly, adding a grate to burn the briquette in same combustion chamber and installation if ID fan. Adiabatic flame temperature with solid fuel is lesser by 200 to 3000C. Thus in spite of on addition of extra furnace usually up to 70% capacity can be achieved. Various issues of Boiler conversion are as:
Briquettes are manufactured from Bagasse, which is a residue of sugar cane after sugar extraction. The bagasse is dried in the Sun and extruded. The compaction gives bulk density up to 1100 Kg/m3, due to which 10 tons of briquettes can be loaded in single truck.
Being cellulosic in nature briquettes can be easily burnt in boiler without clinker formation.
| Carbon (%) | 47 |
| Ash (%) | up to 2.6 |
| Hydrogen (%) | 6.4 |
| Moisture (%) | less than 5 |
| Other (%)(O2+ N2) | 45 |
| Sulpher (%) | 0 |
| GCV (Kcal/kg) | 4200 |
Briquettes are mostly available near sugar factory area or in oil producing area with at low price, while at other places transportation cost will be added. In well-designed furnace other residues (if any) or coal can also be fired if it found economically viable.
Briquette has GCV up to 4200Kcal/kg. Our experience has shown that about 2.2 kg of briquette are equivalent to 1 liter of furnace oil. Market price of furnace oil
fluctuates so also, the savings .At 12 Rs/ lit F.O. price and briquette at 2.2 Rs./kg the substitution will result in saving of 5.5Rs. /lit. Of F.O. fired.
The following table gives the saving potential at various consumption levels.
| Sr.No. | Daily furnace oil consumption (LPD) | Equivalent Briquette Consumption (Kg/day) | Saving *(Rs/day) |
| 1 | 1000 | 2200 | 7380 |
| 2 | 2000 | 4400 | 14760 |
| 3 | 3000 | 6600 | 22140 |
| 4 | 4000 | 8800 | 29520 |
| 5 | 5000 | 11000 | 36900 |
| 6 | 10000 | 22000 | 73800 |
| 7 | 15000 | 33000 | 110700 |
Briquette is available as 60 90 110 mm diameter and 150mm length. It has to be loaded manually in boiler with shovel. This will add negligible extra cost to boiler operation up to a rate of 150-170 Rs. per ton of fuel fired.
The storage of 4-5 days fuel consumption is recommended to cope up with fluctuation and/or transportation problem.
The space required for storage is almost one meter square for 2 ton of briquette. The storage on open concrete base and covering with plastic tarpaulin sheet is recommended.
As there are no changes made in pressure parts, usually IBR has no relevance in operating F.O. boiler on briquette.
Exhaust gases coming out of chimney are made free from dust and impurities as a result of clean combustion technology. Sufficient bends turns and Ash removing doors provided in the path of flue gas help elimination of particles in exhaust.
Sr.No. Capacity Modifications
| Sr.No. | Daily furnace oil consumption (LPD) | Equivalent Briquette Consumption (Kg/day) |
| Sr.No. | Company | Boiler capacity(TPH) |
| 1 | M/s. Cadbury India Ltd, Thane (Turnkey Supply) | 04 |
| 2 | M/s. Novartis India Limited, Mahad ( Turnkey Supply) | 12 |
| 3 | M/S. Golden Chemicals Ltd., Borivali | 10 |
| 4 | M/s. Three M Paper, Chiplun | 20 |
| 5 | M/S. Clarisis Ltd., Baroda | 06 |
| 6 | M/s. Lactose India Ltd., Baroda | 03 |
| 7 | M/s. Skol Breweries Ltd, Uran | 05 |
| 8 | M/s. Garware Polyster, Aurangabad | 09 |
| 9 | M/s. Toshniwal, Tarapur | 04 |
| 10 | M/s. Sadguru Gums, Tarapur | 0.3 |
| 11 | M/s. Gharda Chemicals, Lote | 12 |
| 12 | M/s. Perstorp Aegies Ltd., Vapi | 8 |
| 13 | M/s. Pidilite Ind. Ltd., Vapi | 2 |
| 14 | M/s. Hindustan Braveries & Bottling Ltd., Thane | 10 |
| 15 | M/s. Colourchem Ltd., Thane | 16 |
| 16 | M/s. Bayer (I) Ltd., Thane | 10 |
| 17 | M/s. Pfizer (I) Ltd., Turbhe | 12 |
| 18 | M/s. Zydus cedilla (German Remedies) Ltd., Patalganga | 2 |
| 19 | M/s. M/s. Colourchem Ltd., Roha | 16 |
B15, Dattavihar CHS, Gr Floor, Shivaji Nagar,
B Cabin, Thane (W) - 400 602, Maharashtra, India.
022-25384681/25424983
20, Neelkamal, Bhaskar Colony, Naupada,
Thane (W) - 400602, Maharashtra, India.
