CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Rice is an essential food source for more than 3 billion people each year

(FAOSTAT, 2017). Globally, over 680 million tons of rice are grown annually, second

only to wheat in terms of food production (Foo and Hameed, 2009; Friedman, 2013).

Rice also produces a lot of waste. Aside from rice straw, the other biggest waste from

producing rice is rice hull or rice husk, a major by-product of the rice milling industry.

The estimated production of rice hulls in the country is about two million tons annually.

Rice hull, which constitutes about 20 to 30 percent by weight of the grain, is the coating

for the seeds (palay) of the rice plant (Tacio, 2022).Rice hull should not be treated as

useless. There are several uses of rice hull.

Carbonized rice hull is made from incomplete or partial burning of rice hull. It is a

very good soil fertilizer and conditioner as it contains Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K),

Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), and micronutrients vital to growing crops. It makes the

clay soil porous because of its loose composition and improves soil structure by

increasing bulk density, water holding capacity, and aeration. CRH also harbours good

bacteria and it serves as houses for microorganisms. With these benefits, CRH is a very

good potting media for seed sowing and seeding propagation.

Biochar is the carbon-rich product obtained when biomass such as woods, bark,

leaves, husk, and manures is heated in a closed container with little or no available air

or through the process of carbonization. It is a fine grained charcoal high in organic

carbon produced through pyrolysis of carbon-based feedstock (biomass) in the absence

or low supply of oxygen at temperatures between 350°C and 700°C (Lehmann et al.

2010). Biochar is the name given to charcoal when its intention is to be used as a

fertilizer. To produce biochar, carbonization occurs at high temperatures more than

500°C. Biochar is known for its carbon sequestration potential and soil amendment

properties. Biochar is considered as a greenhouse gas reduction route because it

increases the carbon content stably retained in the soil. Due to the high thermal

stresses applied on the biochar during its formation, it becomes very tough to degrade

with time. It can remain in its form for hundreds of years and retaining this carbon in the

soil ensuring its fertility for this time. The International Biochar Initiative (IBI) provides a

standardized definition for the biochar’s characteristics that is most suitable for soil

amendment. Sometimes when there is a need for new cultivation area, the first place to

look for is the forest remains. These remains are burnt which results in forming biochar

which has high carbon content and enhances the soil and improves its fertility.

However, if these forest remains are large, this burning could contribute to the overall

greenhouse effect because the burning is not controlled and is performed in open air so

most of the carbon is burnt and only small parts of the total carbon in biomass is

retained as stable solid char in the soil. The higher the degree of carbonization, the

higher the fixed carbon amount and the better is the property of biochar ( Amer and

Elwardany 2020).

The development of local technical solutions that enable parallel reductions in air

pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, introduce mechanization alternatives, improve

nutrient return and fertilizer use efficiencies, and reduce energy and fuel imports are
essential considerations. This is the stimulus behind the development of a cost-

effective, simple, but effective, rice husk carbonizers with the capability of retrofitting

waste heat recovery technologies (Orge et al., 2013). Thus the development of a rotary

type rice hull carbonizing machine is pursued to lessen the man power by eliminating

the manual agitator of husk and also make a great contribution to environmental

protection.

Statement of the Problem

Objectives of the Study

Generally, this study aims to develop a mobile type rice husk carbonizer.

Specifically, the study aims to:

1. Design a rotary type rice husk carbonizing machine made from locally available

materials.

2. Fabricate a rotary type rice husk cabonizer

3. Evaluate the performance of the machine in terms of the following parameters:

3.1 Carbonizing rate

3.2 Machine capacity

3.3 Biochar yield

4. Perform the cost analysis of using the machine.

Significance of the Study

 By improving the methods for disposal of agricultural waste and producing

additional heat, the use of rice husk carbonizers can improve environmental

sustainability, increase productivity (fertilization effect from biochar byproduct) and help

ensure both energy and food security (Dawe et al., 2006; Reyes et al., 2009) However,

carbonizing rice husk is usually done conventionally where it pour and spread the rice

hull around the carbonizer until it covers the whole body. If the rice hull on the surface

starts to turn black, mix it using the shovel. Continue mixing until all of it turns black.

Remove the carbonizer, then sprinkle the burnt rice hull with water to put out the fire,

which is time consuming and laborious.

The fabrication of rice husk carbonizer will be a great help to local farmers

especially for seed bed preparation and for those who are using organic fertilizer. With

this machine, more efficient production with lesser time, effort and production cost

involved in carbonizing process will be achieved. Additionally, this would be beneficial

not only in terms of new money opportunity for farmers but also in terms of conserving

our environment.

Further, study will also provide other researchers with the information in the

improvement of mobile rice husk carbonizer.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study will primarily focus on the design, fabrication and performance

evaluation of a mobile type rice husk carbonizer which made from locally available

materials. The machine will be limited only on carbonizing rice husk. Furthermore, there
will be three treatments (400°C, 500°C, and 600°C) with three replications each. Each

replication will employ 50 kg of rice hull as test material.

Meanwhile, evaluation of performance will be done using the following

parameters: carbonizing rate; biochar yield and machine capacity.

Time and Place of the Study

The design conceptualization, design calculation, preparation of drawings,

prototyping and laboratory performance evaluation will be conducted on January to

June 2022 at the Institute of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (IABE), Mindoro

State University – Victoria Campus, Victoria, Oriental Mindoro.