Compacting of Biomass for Energy Densification

Biomass waste materials such as crop dust, fruit, and agricultural residues can be used as solid fuel sources. The energy use of these waste materials is limited because of their low densities. Compacting or briquetting of biomass waste materials can be done through various techniques. For example, the squeezing and stabilization of crop straw may have a mechanism that differs from that occurring during the compaction of waste paper or tree sawdust. A reduction in the volume of the materials also provides a technological benefit, so the materials could be easily transported and stored more economically than is possible at present. In practice, the higher the briquetting pressure is employed, the denser the fuel is, but the more costly the process will be.