Manual Charcoal Briquettor Boosts Income of Coconut Farmers
This modified manual briquetting machine has been creating ripples in Cavite.
The researchers of the Forestry Products Research and Development institute, based at UP Los Banos, Laguna, fabricated a modified manual briquetting machine using steel plates, angle bars and round bars. It was patterned after an existing manual briquetting machine weighing 55 kilograms (kg) and produces 12 kg of briquettes per hour. Each briquette measures 5.0 cm high and 2.5 cm in diameter.
The modified unit makes briquettes each measuring 3.8 cm high and 3.8 cm in diameter with 1.25 cm cavity diameter. It produces 15 kg of charcoal briquettes/hr. The unit weighs 75 kg, making it sturdier than the old unit.
This paper entitled “Modified Manual Charcoal Briquettor” was presented by . Belen B. Bisana, Amando Allan M. Bondad, Eduardo C. Gonong and Calixto T. Lulo and was adjudged as 2nd best paper for development category, during the Southern Tagalog Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium’s (STARRDEC) 21st Regional Symposium on Research and Development Highlights held on August 20, 2008 at the STARRDEC Conference Hall, Cavite State University.
The charcoal briquettes from coconut shell charcoal fines were produced at three cassava starch binder levels (6, 8, and 10%) using the modified briquettor. Charcoal briquettes bound at 8% cassava starch which was produced from the old briquettor served as control.
Bisana, et al reported that “the mean percent volatile combustible matter (VCM), of 6% - and 8%-bound modified charcoal briquettes were not significantly different from the control. Likewise, means of % ash and % fixed carbon (FC) of all treatments and the mean density of 6%-bound modified briquettes and the control did not significantly differ.”
On the other hand, they reported that “the 8% and 10% values differed significantly and were higher than the control. The crushing strength (CS) of the three samples produced from the modified briquettor was four to five times higher than the control. The 6% bound modified and 8%-bound unmodified briquettes required 5 minutes to ignite. The two completely burned in 45 minutes, but the modified briquettes emitted the more intense heat. This could be due to the greater surface area of the briquettes affected by the cavity.”
Based on the results, the 6%-bound briquettes from the modified briquettor could substitute for the 8%-bound briquettes from the old briquettor.
The investment profile of the old manual briquettor showed a return on investment (ROI) of 19%, internal rate of return (IRR) of 24% and cash payback period on the 7 th year while the modified model showed an ROI of 44%, IRR of 64% and cash payback period on the 3rd year.
Since the modified briquettor is much more efficient than the old model, according to the presenters, it has gained social and political acceptance as it has been adopted by Mr. Renato Canlas of Cabuyao, Laguna and by members of IDEALS, a non-governmental organization in Lian, Batangas. They added that “the technology is a very suitable source of livelihood of nonformal workers situated in the coconut farming communities.”
