A Novel Approach to the Screw Feeder Design to Improve the Reliability of Briquetting Process in the Roller Press

The screw feeder design for the pre-compaction of bulk materials to be briquetted in a roll press is considered to increase the overall reliability. The relationship between the parameters of the screw feeder and its technological characteristics is investigated by the example of two fine-grained materials. A new mathematical model and design algorithm have been developed, which takes into account the properties of materials, the roller press parameters, the shape of the briquettes, and their deformation after compaction. The relationship between the pre-compaction pressure and the material stack height at the inlet is determined. The relations between the torque, the screw pitch, and the material stack height above the inlet, as well as the drive power and the screw pitch on productivity, are investigated. In experiments, using the proposed design, the compaction ratio of the peat increases by 22-27%, and hydrolyzed lignin –by 14-17%. The proposed approach allows for preventing drive overloading and ensures the reliable operation of pre-compaction devices for the roller presses.