Automated Coal Feeding Device for Zig Zag Brick Kilns
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Bangladeshi brick kilns use inefficient coal burning methods that produce severe carbon emissions. In the capital city of Dhaka, emissions from these kilns cause approximately 5000 premature deaths each year. Reducing brick kiln emissions is an important step in improving air quality and mitigating climate change. Kiln workers known as firemen manage the kiln’s temperature by fueling combustion. The firing zone’s high temperature and the laborious nature of the feeding limits the firemen’s ability to approach continuous feeding through manual methods. Instead, they often dump more coal than is necessary and at inconsistent intervals. In this paper we describe the approach, features and performance of our design for an automatic coal feeder. The switch to automatic feeding is a part of a suite of kiln improvements that can effect a cleaner burn and cut coal use by 10-15% of overall coal use. This saving directly translates to a cleaner burn, which produces fewer emissions. The automatic kiln feeder system presented consists of a cut oil drum supported on stacked bricks with a chain-driven wheel system bolted to the underside. Coal falls through a hole into pockets in the driven wheel. As this wheel rotates, coal falls through an offset hole and feeds the fire below. This system accommodates a wide range of feed rates (0.006-0.08 g/s) and operates independently for over 48 hours. The feeder is expected to cost $60 USD per unit. Its high durability and ease of maintenance make it an attractive option for kiln managers and laborers alike. We set high priority requirements based on the expected operating conditions, fulfilment of user needs, and emissions reductions Through a series of tests, we have verified the design’s fulfillment of these requirements. Additional work concerning power supply and manufacturing in Bangladesh must be done before deploying the system. We aim to realize these in time for the next brickmaking season.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date created | June 3, 2021 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Diaz Reyes, Jose |
|---|---|
| Author | Hiss, Eli |
| Author | Luna, Autumn |
| Author | Vasquez, Marco Antonio |
Subjects
| Subject | Bangladesh |
|---|---|
| Subject | brick kilns |
| Subject | emissions |
| Subject | combustion |
| Subject | efficiency |
| Subject | coal |
| Subject | automated device |
| Subject | Woods Institute |
| Subject | environment |
| Genre | Text |
| Genre | Report |
Bibliographic information
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- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC).
Preferred citation
- Preferred citation
- Diaz Reyes, Jose; Hiss, Eli; Luna, Autumn; Vasquez, Marco. (2021). Automated Coal Feeding Device for Zig Zag Brick Kilns. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/bb973hw5160
Collection
ME170 Mechanical Engineering Design
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