Plug Flow Analysis for the Design of the Compaction Region of a Tapered Screw Extruder Biomass Briquetting Machine

Abstract

The study of compaction or solids conveying in a screw extruder has been carried out majorly on the straight screws using the plug flow analysis. Despite this, the analysis of the straight screw appears to be complex as contained in existing literatures based on the force and torque balance. The tapered screw, which is considered to be an effective option for biomass compaction, introduces greater complications because the geometry is constantly changing. In this study, a method based on the traction and retardation mechanism of friction is developed for a fully unwound screw channel utilizing only the force balances. The procedure has been used to carry out a parametric analysis of the tapered screw extruder for a screw press biomass briquetting machine. The taper angle was considered to significantly increase the pressure developed in the extruder depending on the length of the compaction zone. The optimum taper angle has also been found to be dependent on the frictional coefficient of the biomass material with enclosing surfaces and ranges between 2° and 4°.