DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of processing agriculture waste. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus for making pellets from the agriculture waste.

BACKGROUND
[002] The background information provided hereunder is instructive for understanding the present disclosure but does not necessarily constitute prior art with respect to any of the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein.
[003] Energy demand and waste management are closely linked to population growth. An agricultural sector offers solutions to both issues. Farm-generated waste is substantial, especially with an increased demand for agricultural products due to societal and economic development. Efficient waste management is crucial to prevent undesirable landfills and pollution.
[004] Agricultural wastes can serve as a raw material for alternate and sustainable fuel solutions. The agricultural waste, which is primarily generated after harvest, includes various grasses, stalks (such as cotton, mustard, soybean), woody materials, and other forest residues. Several communities worldwide traditionally use solid fuels like wood, coal, and cow dung to meet their energy needs. Fossil fuels remain a prominent choice for energy production.
[005] Solid fuel can be produced from the agricultural waste through a pelletizing process that aggregates large volumes of low-density waste into high density pellets that are usable as alternative fuels. This reduces dependence on the fossil fuels and addresses waste management concerns. Utilizing advanced pellet-making machines may allow the agricultural waste to be compressed into dense pellets that hold significant energy to be used as fuel alternatives.
[006] However, existing pellet-making devices face challenges such as die plate choking due to a lignocellulosic nature of the agricultural waste. During compression, lignin in the agricultural waste may solidify, blocking die apertures required for pellet extrusion. Some pellet-making devices require complete disassembly to replace or adjust worn die plate(s), resulting in downtime and requiring significant effort from engineers to replace the die plate(s). These complications of adjustments, generally limit an operational lifespan of such devices to approximately 600-800 hours.
[007] The existing pellet-making devices also has a limitation in accepting different types of agricultural waste for making pellets due to fixed dimensions of the die plate(s).
[008] Therefore, there is, a need for an improved apparatus for pelletizing the agricultural waste at least to overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies.

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[009] Some of the objects of the present disclosure which are sought to be achieved by at least one embodiment herein described are enlisted hereunder.
[010] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus for pelletizing agricultural waste in a cost-effective manner.
[011] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus that is economical, robust, easy-to-operate, and with longer operational longevity to pelletize the agricultural waste.
[012] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus having a plurality of the die plates containing a plurality of apertures through which the agricultural waste is passed to form pellets.
[013] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide adjustment fixtures between the assembly of die plates and rollers, such that a constant gap is maintained between rollers and the top die plate during operation. This adjustment fixture may hold the die plates firmly and prevent sliding of the die plates.
[014] Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a cartridge-based heating mechanism fitted along both the central and peripheral portion of the die plates to remove clogging of the solidified residue of the agriculture waste formed during the process, thereby enabling smooth passage of the agriculture waste.
[015] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus that facilitates online cleaning of the die plates by removing the clogs of the agricultural waste formed due to solidification of lignin due to power failure and to continue smooth operation of the apparatus.
[016] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to effortlessly replace the die plate(s) due to wearing without disassembling the apparatus completely as only one of the die plates, mainly the top die plate, needs to be replaced.
[017] Another object of the present disclosure is to reduce friction of the agriculture waste as it passes through the apertures of the die plates, thereby improving overall operating hours of the apparatus and increasing the operational lifespan of the apparatus.
[018] Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

SUMMARY
[019] This section is provided to introduce certain objects and aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[020] In an aspect, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus for pelletizing agriculture waste. The apparatus includes a hopper shell comprising a cavity conformed to one or more features of a hopper, where the hopper is configured to receive the agriculture waste. The apparatus includes at least two rollers positioned inside the hopper shell, and configured to rotate at a predefined axis to compress the agriculture waste flowing from the hopper to the die plates. The apparatus includes a plurality of die plates arranged below the at least two rollers, where each of the plurality of die plates includes a plurality of apertures. The compressed agriculture waste is pushed from the at least two rollers and allowed to continuously flow through the plurality of apertures to form pellets. The plurality of apertures of the top die plate varies in diameter as compared to the plurality of apertures of the other die plates in an apparatus in order to facilitate pelletization of agricultural waste.
[021] In an embodiment, the apparatus may include at least two rollers that may rotate due to a resistance of the agriculture waste.
[022] In an embodiment, the plurality of die plates may be configured with a cartridge-based heating mechanism. The cartridge-based heating mechanism may be configured in one or more holes provided along both the central and peripheral portion of each of the plurality of die plates.
[023] In an embodiment, the cartridge-based heating mechanism may be configured to facilitate heating of at least one die plate of the plurality of die plates to a predefined temperature, such that clogging of the solidified agriculture waste in one or more apertures of the plurality of apertures is removed without manually removing the die plate(s) to clean the clogged aperture(s).
[024] In an embodiment, the plurality of die plates may include at least one of a top plate, a middle plate, and a bottom plate depending on a nature of agriculture waste.
[025] In an embodiment, one or more adjustment fixtures may be configured between the bottom plate and a support ring, such that a desired gap between the at least two rollers and the top die plate is maintained.
[026] In an embodiment, a thickness of the one or more adjustment fixtures may be configured to adjust the gap between the at least two rollers and the top die plate.
[027] In an embodiment, the one or more features of the top plate may be set based on a type of the agriculture waste to ensure optimum operation of the apparatus. One or more aperture openings of the top plate may vary depending on the nature of agriculture waste.
[028] In an embodiment, the middle plate may be inserted or removed based on the type of the agriculture waste.
[029] In an embodiment, the bottom plate may be configured as a relieving plate such that the pellets may be easily pushed from the bottom plate to a pellet collector which collects and stores the pellets.
[030] In an embodiment, each of the plurality of die plates may be made of a predefined thickness, and replaced without disassembling the apparatus completely.
[031] In an embodiment, the apparatus may further include a wear and tear indicator configured to detect wear and tear of the top die plate and a density of the pellets, and indicate an operator to perform at least one of (i) adjust a gap between the at least two rollers and the top die plate, and (ii) replace the top die plate during a wear, based on the density of the pellets.
[032] In an embodiment, the apparatus may further include a plurality of shafts configured based on the number of rollers present in the apparatus, wherein a first shaft of the plurality of shafts is affixed between the at least two rollers that are arranged opposite to each other.
[033] In an embodiment, a second shaft of the plurality of shafts may be configured vertically from a top portion to a bottom portion of the apparatus. A shaft head of the second shaft may include a hollow space conformed to an outer surface of the first shaft such that the first shaft is passed through the hollow space to connect the at least two rollers.
[034] In an embodiment, the cavity may be configured at a top portion of the hopper shell.
[035] In an aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for pre-processing agricultural waste for manufacturing pellets using the apparatus. The method includes procuring an agricultural waste material, drying the agricultural waste material to attain a predefined moisture content, reducing at least a size of the agricultural waste material to a predetermined length using a pre-processing device; and feeding the reduced sized agricultural waste material into the hopper of the apparatus (100) for pelletizing the agriculture waste.
[036] In an embodiment, manufacturing the pellets of desired size may include feeding the agriculture waste material into a hopper of the apparatus, compressing the agriculture waste material flowing from the hopper to at least two rollers by facilitating rotation of the at least two rollers at a predefined axis through resistance of the agriculture waste, and initiating a pushing mechanism to push the compressed agriculture waste material to continuously flow through a plurality of apertures of each of a plurality of die plates to manufacture the pellets of the desired size.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[037] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Some drawings may indicate the components using block diagrams and may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes the disclosure of electrical components, electronic components, or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.
[038] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary isometric view of an apparatus (100) for pelletizing agriculture waste, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[039] FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary sectional view of an apparatus (100) for pelletizing agriculture waste, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[040] FIG. 2B illustrates an exemplary isometric view of rollers used in an apparatus (100) for pelletizing agriculture waste, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[041] FIG. 2C illustrates an exemplary view of an assembly of die plates used in an apparatus (100) for pelletizing agriculture waste, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[042] FIG. 2D illustrates an exemplary sectional view of an assembly of die plates used in an apparatus (100) for pelletizing agriculture waste, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[043] FIG. 3A illustrates a flow chart of an example method for pre-processing agricultural waste for manufacturing pellets, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[044] FIG. 3B illustrates a flow chart of an example method for manufacturing the pellets post pre-processing the agricultural waste, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[045] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[046] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address all of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.
[047] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.
[048] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments.
[049] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.
[050] The word “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.
[051] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “an instance” or “one instance” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
[052] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[053] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of processing agriculture waste. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus for making pellets from the agriculture waste. Certain terms used in the present disclosure are to be construed and understood in the context of the technical field related to an agriculture domain and generally have the meaning as set forth below:
[054] Biomass or agricultural waste pellets in the present disclosure refers to and includes processed seasonal agriculture waste or biomass, that are subjected to intense densification apparatus for forming a pellet or such similar forms that are or will be known in the art. Unless specifically referred to the contrary hereunder, all references to agriculture waste pellet are to be considered non-limiting.
[055] Pellet-making machine refers to an apparatus having multiple mechanical parts to make pellets from different sources, biomass, and agricultural waste in the present disclosure. Using die plates and rollers, the agricultural waste is compressed to form a homogenous mass in form of the pellet.
[056] Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be explained in detail with reference to FIGs. 1-3B.
[057] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary isometric view of an apparatus (100) for pelletizing agriculture waste, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[058] With reference to FIG. 1, the apparatus (100) may be, for example, but not limited to, an indigenous flat die machine utilized to make pellets by processing various agriculture-waste or biomass generated post harvesting. The agriculture-waste or biomass may include, but not limited to, grass, stalk (such as cotton, mustard, soya, etc.), woody material (such as Juli flora and forestry waste). It may be appreciated that the terms agriculture-residue, biomass, and agriculture waste may be referred interchangeably throughout the disclosure.
[059] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Table 1, a source of biomass and agricultural waste used to make pellets may include, but not limited to, the following:
S. No Source Location/Origin
1 Cotton stalk 21.226853104680806, 71.20259839303002
Ingrola, Gujarat
2 Mustard stalk 23.87146324514997, 72.89987018977432
Sabarkantha district
3 Soya stalk 21.532780107231158, 70.35966760066174
Junagadh, Gujarat
4 Ground nut 22.481906550319103, 70.03398468894972
Jamnagar district
5 Rice husk 22.752283176705628, 72.68109998675465
Kheda District
6 Sugarcane Trash 21.329334841918, 72.88263292352588
Surat district
7 Bagasse 21.329334841918, 72.88263292352588
Surat District
Table 1
[060] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Table 2, the density of the input agriculture waste or biomass may be, but not limited to, the following:
S. No Description Density (Kg/m3)
1 Cotton Stalk 130-160
2 Agri mix 80-120
3 Mustard stalk 80-120
4 Soya stalk 80-120
5 Juli flora 200-300
6 Forestry residual 200-400
Table 2
[061] A density of the biomass or agricultural waste may be, for example, in the range of 50-450 Kg/m3. The apparatus (100) may be used to densify the agriculture-wastes or biomass such that the densified material would be used as a fuel, for example, for power generation, in industrial boilers, residential heaters, cooking stove, gasification, etc. The densified material may be pellets or such similar forms that are and will be known in the art, which may be easily transported and stored.
[062] With reference to FIG. 1, the apparatus (100) may include a hopper shell (104) with a cavity. The cavity may be configured at a top portion of the hopper shell (104). The cavity may be conformed to one or more features of a hopper (102). The one or more features of the hopper (102) may include, but not limited to, a shape of the hopper (102), a size of the hopper (102), an external surface of the hopper (102), and the like. The hopper (102) may be configured to receive agriculture waste, i.e. an operator of the apparatus (100) may insert the agriculture waste into the apparatus (100) through the hopper (102) using a conveyor (not shown).
[063] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the hopper (102) may be operatively connected to the hopper shell (104) for processing the agriculture waste. In some embodiments, a support ring (106) may be positioned at a bottom of the hopper shell (104). In some embodiments, the support ring (106) may be operatively connected to the hopper shell (104). The support ring (106) may be configured to provide structural integrity to the hopper shell (104), ensuring that the hopper shell (104) withstands a weight of the agricultural waste and forces exerted during pelletizing process. By positioning the support ring (106) at the bottom of the hopper shell (104), the support ring (106) may align and stabilize the hopper shell (104). This alignment may be essential for proper feeding of the agricultural waste within the apparatus (100) without jams or misalignment.
[064] In some embodiments, the support ring (106) may be operatively connected to a center support (108). The center support (108) may act as a secondary structural reinforcement below the support ring (106). The center support (108) may be configured to distribute the agricultural waste evenly across a bottom area of the hopper shell (104) and the support ring (106). This distribution may prevent localized stress points and ensure that the entire apparatus (100) remains stable during the pelletizing process. By reinforcing a center of the support ring (106), the center support (108) may maintain the alignment of the hopper shell (104) and prevent any sagging or misalignment that may occur due to the weight of the agricultural waste, thereby ensuring proper functioning of the apparatus (100). In some embodiments, the agricultural waste may exert significant pressure on the hopper shell (104) and the support ring (106). The center support (108) may mitigate this pressure by providing additional structural support at the bottom, thus minimizing a risk of deformation or damage over time. In some embodiments, by reinforcing the structural integrity of the support ring (106) and the hopper shell (104), the center support (108) may ensure long-term durability of the apparatus (100).
[065] In some embodiments, the center support (108) may be operatively connected to a gear box (110). In some embodiments, the gearbox (110) may be operatively coupled to a motor (116) or a power source via a coupling which is covered by a guard member (114). The gearbox (110) may be configured to transmit power from the motor (116) or the power source to the entire apparatus (100) or the hopper (102) that feeds the agricultural waste into the hopper shell (104). This transmission may ensure that the pelletizing process has necessary rotational power to operate effectively. In some embodiments, the gearbox (110) may be equipped with a plurality of gears of different sizes that allow for speed control and adjustment. This may optimize a feed rate of the agricultural waste into the hopper shell (106). The gearbox (110) may enable the operator to adjust the speed to match processing requirements and characteristics of the agricultural waste being pelletized. By providing appropriate power transmission and speed control, the gearbox (110) may enhance an overall efficiency of the pelletizing process. The gearbox (110) may minimize jams and optimize production of pellet quantity by increasing the production rates.
[066] In some embodiments, a bottom surface of the gearbox (110) may be affixed to a base (112). The base (112) may provide a stable platform to which the gearbox (110) and the motor (116) are securely affixed. This structural support may maintain alignment and stability of the gearbox (110) during operation of the apparatus. The pelletizing process may involve significant mechanical forces and vibrations. The base (112) may be configured to absorb and dampen the vibrations, thereby reducing an overall wear and tear of the gearbox (110) and other connected components. This damping effect may increase the operational longevity and reliability of the apparatus (100).
[067] FIGs. 2A-2D illustrate an exemplary sectional view of the apparatus (100) for pelletizing agriculture waste, an exemplary isometric view of the rollers (222a, 222b), an exemplary sectional view of an assembly of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c), respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[068] With reference to FIG. 2A, the apparatus (100) may include the hopper (102) operatively connected to the hopper shell (104), as illustrated in FIG. 1. The hopper (102) may be configured to receive the agriculture waste. In some embodiments, the hopper shell (104) may be configured to house at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and an assembly of die plates including a plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c). In some embodiments, an inner surface of the hopper shell (104) may include a barrel (202) for housing the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and the assembly of die plates.
[069] In some embodiments, the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) may be positioned inside the hopper shell (104). The at least two rollers (222a, 222b) may be fully hardened, and the hardness of the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) may be in the range of, for example, 45-50 HRC. The at least two rollers (222a, 222b) may be arranged opposite to each other, as illustrated in FIG. 2B. In some embodiments, the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) may be connected via a first shaft (236). In some embodiments, the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) may rotate at a predefined axis due to a resistance of the agriculture waste. In some embodiments, the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) may be rotated to crush and compress the agriculture waste flowing from the hopper (102) to the at least two rollers (222a, 222b). The at least two rollers (222a, 222b) may push the compressed agriculture waste into the assembly of die plates including the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c). The compression ratio of the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) may be in the range of, for example, 2.9 – 4.2.
[070] In some embodiments, the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) may include a roller end cap (232) at ends of each roller. The roller end cap (232) may protect the ends of the rollers (222a, 222b) from damage, debris, and contaminants caused due to an ingress of a raw material, dust, dirt, and moisture, which may cause wear and corrosion of the rollers (222a, 222b), thereby extending a lifespan of the rollers (222a, 222b). In some embodiments, by covering the ends of the rollers (222a, 222b), a generation of noise during the operation of the apparatus (100) may be reduced.
[071] In some embodiments, the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) may include a roller bearing (234). The roller bearing (234) may be configured to handle high loads of the agriculture waste and rotational speeds of the at least two rollers (222a, 222b).
[072] In some embodiments, washers or sleeve (208) may be inserted between a step on at least one shaft and a shaft head that are positioned between the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) in the apparatus (100). This may ensure proper alignment and spacing between the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c), thereby maintaining a correct distance between the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) for efficient operation. In some embodiments, the washers or sleeves (208) may distribute the compressed agriculture waste evenly across the surfaces of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c). This distribution may prevent excessive wear and ensure that the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) operate smoothly without unnecessary friction or stress. In some embodiments, by providing a cushioning effect to the washers or sleeve (208), the washers or sleeve (208) may absorb vibrations that occur during the operation of the apparatus (100). This vibration reduction may contribute to an overall stability and operational longevity of the apparatus (100).
[073] In some embodiments, the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) may be arranged below the at least two rollers (222a, 222b). The plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) may be fully hardened, and the hardness of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) may be in the range of, for example, 50-55 HRC. The plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) may include at least a top plate (210a), a middle plate (210b), and a bottom plate (210c), as illustrated in FIG. 2C. For example, but not limited to, the top plate (210a) may be formed of an outer diameter of 725 millimeters and a wall thickness of 40 millimeter, the middle plate (210b) may be formed of an outer diameter of 725 millimeters and a wall thickness of 50 millimeters, and the bottom plate (210c) may be formed of an outer diameter of 825 millimeters and a wall thickness of 50 millimeters. In some embodiments, the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) may be arranged in a horizontal fashion, where a rear side of one die plate (e.g., the top plate 210a) is affixed over a top side of the other die plate (e.g., the middle plate 210b). This arrangement may make the die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) suitable for different agriculture waste as well as different size of pellets. With a split die philosophy, an aspect ratio (L/D) may be met by changing a geometry and overall thickness of the die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) by adding or removing the die plates (210a, 210b, 210c).
[074] In some embodiments, the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) may be ring die plates and flat die plates, preferably the flat die plates may be used in the proposed apparatus (100). The life span of the flat die plates used in the present disclosure, may be approximately 2000 Hrs, by refurbishment of the top die plate (210a). A comparison between the ring die plates and flat die plates is shown below in Table 3:
S. No Description Ring Die Flat die
1 Maintenance High Low
2 Operation flexibility Less Higher
3 Gap adjustment Automatic Can be easily adjusted as per need
4 Life of die Approx 600 Hrs. Approx. 2000 Hrs.
5 Initial investment High Less
6 Power consumption High Low
Table 3
[075] Each of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) may include a plurality of apertures (230), as illustrated in FIG. 2D. The compressed agriculture waste may be pushed from the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and allowed to continuously flow through the plurality of apertures (230) to form pellets. The bulk density of the pellets may be in the range of, for example, 470 – 600 Kg/m3 specifically it is in the range of approximately 470-550 Kg/m3 for cotton stalk and it can be in the range of approximately 495-600 Kg/m3 for various agricultural waste materials.
[076] In some embodiments, one or more features of the top plate (210a) may be set based on a type of the agriculture waste to ensure optimum operation of the apparatus (100). The one or more features of the top plate (210a) may include, but not limited to, a thickness, a density, a chamfer angle, and the like. The type of the agriculture waste or biomass may include, but not limited to, grass, stalk, parts of plants, woody material, cotton stalk, paddy straw, cane trash, etc. In some embodiments, the top plate (210a) may include an angle of inclination to drive the agriculture waste towards the plurality of apertures (230). In some embodiments, the top plate (210a) may be detachable by mounting screws (e.g., jacking screws), whereas the middle plate (210b) and the bottom plate (210c) are fixed. In some embodiments, a taper angle of the top plate (210a) may be varied depending on an availability of a raw material. This may improve the flexibility of the apparatus (100) for variety of the raw materials available. For example, the taper angle of the top plate (210a) may be in the range of 20-40 Degrees.
[077] In some embodiments, the top plate (210a) may be directly prone to witness most wear and tear, such that the top plate (210a) may be detachable and replaceable. To address the wear and tear of the top plate (210a), the top plate (210a) may be hardened. The clamping screws may be removed to detach the top plate (210a) from its position when required to be replaced. The worn-out top plate may be refurbished or replaced with a new top plate, thereby avoiding refurbishment or replacement of the all die plates present in the apparatus (110). This may resume the operation in lesser time than the time taken to replace all the die plates as in case of the existing pellet-making machine. In some embodiments, the assembly of die plates may be locked through clamping bolts.
[078] In some embodiments, only the top plate (210a) may be made up of a superior material, and heat treatment may be performed only to the top plate (210a) to ensure useful life during severe wear operating conditions, improving an availability of the apparatus (100). This may ease manufacturing of the die plate assembly, and reduce spare parts to be maintained which reduces the manufacturing cost of the die plate assembly. Since only the top plate (210a) needs to be refurbished once it is worn out, reduction in refurbishment cost of the die plate assembly may be achieved and the availability of the apparatus (100) may be improved. Further, since only the top plate (210a) needs to be replaced once it is worn out, reduction in replacement cost of the die plate assembly may be achieved and the operational longevity of the apparatus (100) may be improved.
[079] In some embodiments, the middle plate (210b) may be optional. The middle plate (210b) may be inserted or removed based on the type of the agriculture waste or the raw material used for processing to ensure proper formation of pellet. The middle plate (210b) may be formed of a variable compression ratio. For example, data observed with and without the middle plate (210b) between the top plate (210a) and the bottom plate (210c) is shown in Table 4. In some embodiments, the bottom plate (210c) may be configured as a relieving plate such that the pellets may be easily pushed from the bottom plate (210c) to a pellet collector (228) which collects and stores the pellets. For example, the thickness of the bottom plate (210c) may be in a range of 40-50mm. In some embodiments, the middle plate (210b), if inserted, may be formed with a uniform aperture size, and the bottom plate (210c) may be formed with relieving apertures bigger than the apertures of the middle plate (210b) to relieve pressure and frictional force to push the compressed agriculture waste through the apertures of the bottom plate (210c).

Table 4
where, H/A is Horticultural/Agricultural waste, H/C is Horticultural/Cotton stalk, H is Horticultural waste, and C is Cotton stalk, MS is Mustered Stalk, SS is Soya Stalk, GN is Groundnut, RH is Rice Husk, ST is Sugarcane Trash, and B is Bagasse. Further, the pellets produced with and without the middle plate (210b) is shown in Table 5.
Sr. No Description Raw material Average Tons per hour
1 With middle die plate Horticulture waste + Cotton stalk 1.20
2 Without middle die plate 2.00
3 Without middle die plate Horticulture waste + Agricultural waste 1.30
4 Without middle die plate 100% cotton stalk 2.0-2.5
5 With middle die plate 1.81
6 Without middle die plate Mustered Stalk 2.13
7 With middle die plate 1.92
8 Without middle die plate Soya Stalk 1.92
9 With middle die plate 1.88
10 Without middle die plate Groundnut 2.07
11 With middle die plate 1.96
12 Without middle die plate Rice Husk 1.92
13 With middle die plate 1.91
14 Without middle die plate Sugarcane Trash 2.00
15 With middle die plate 1.88
16 Without middle die plate Bagasse 2.00
17 With middle die plate 1.89
Table 5
[080] In some embodiments, the pellet collector (228) may be coupled to at least one side of the support ring (106) (as illustrated in FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the pellet collector (228) may be operatively coupled with a cutting blade (212) to cut a continuous assemblage of the formed pellets in desired size. In some embodiments, the pellet collector (228) may be affixed with a pellet guider (226). In some embodiments, the pellet guider (226) may ensure that the pellets are fed smoothly and accurately to, for example, a container placed in a proximity of the apparatus (100). The pellets may be formed of variable diameter ranging from 8-20mm.
[081] In some embodiments, each of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) may be made of a predefined thickness. Each of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) may be replaced without disassembling the apparatus (100) completely.
[082] In some embodiments, the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) may be configured with a cartridge-based heating mechanism (242), as illustrated in FIG. 2D. In some embodiments, the cartridge-based heating mechanism (242) may be inserted in one or more holes provided along the central and peripheral portion of each of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c). Even if the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) are sandwiched, the one or more holes may be easily aligned so that cartridge-based heating mechanism (242) may be easily inserted through the one or more holes of the sandwiched die plates. This may ensure quick heating of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c). In some embodiments, the heating mechanism may be, for example, but not limited to, a strip heater, a tubular heater, and such other heating elements that are known in the art.
[083] In some embodiments, the cartridge-based heating mechanism (242) may be facilitated along the central and peripheral portion of the die plate assembly, to remove the clogs formed due to solidification of lignin/power failure. During densification, bonding of lignin may take place due to heat generation, while the agriculture waste is compressed between the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and the die plates (210a, 210b, 210c), which leads to clogging of the agriculture waste in the plurality of apertures (230). In some embodiments, the cartridge-based heating mechanism (242) may be penetrated through each of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) to remove the clogs formed due to solidification of lignin/power failure.
[084] In some embodiments, one or more adjustment fixtures (e.g., shims) may be configured between the bottom plate (210c) and the support ring (106), such that each of the die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) may be lifted and configured to maintain a gap between the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and the top die plate (210a). In some embodiments, a thickness of the one or more adjustment fixtures may be configured to adjust the gap between the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and the top die plate (210a).
[085] In some embodiments, the cartridge-based heating mechanism (242) may be configured to facilitate heating of at least one die plate (e.g., the top plate) of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) to a predefined temperature, such that clogging of the solidified agriculture waste in one or more apertures of the plurality of apertures (230) is removed rapidly. The clogging of the compressed agriculture waste may be caused when the apparatus (100) stops due to a schedule maintenance or any breakdown and during the operation of the apparatus (100) when the residue of the compressed agriculture waste gets stuck to the aperture walls. When the apparatus (100) stops due to the schedule maintenance or any breakdown, the compressed agriculture waste present in the one or more apertures of each of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) may be cooled and solidified, and may get clogged in one or more apertures of the die plates. Therefore, the cartridge-based heating mechanism (242) may be utilized to easily clean and remove the clogged materials from one or more apertures of the die plates.
[086] In some embodiments, the apparatus (100) may include a wear indicator (not shown) configured to detect the wear and tear of the top plate (210a). In some embodiments, the wear indicator may be configured to provide an indication to the operator to know the wear based on adjustment of the gap between the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and the top die plate (210a) during operation. In some embodiments, the wear indicator may be configured to provide the indication to the operator to perform at least one of (i) adjust a gap between the at least two rollers and the top die plate, and (ii) replace the top die plate (210a) during a wear, based on the density of the pellets.
[087] In some embodiments, a second shaft (238) may be configured vertically from a top portion to a bottom portion of the apparatus (100). In some embodiments, a shaft head (206) of the second shaft (238) may be formed of a hollow space conformed to an outer surface of the first shaft (236) such that the first shaft (236) may be passed through the hollow space to connect the at least two rollers (222a, 222b). In some embodiments, a shaft nut (204) may be affixed on a top end of the shaft head (206). The shaft nut (204) may be configured to secure the first shaft (236) to the second shaft (238), preventing an axial movement and ensuring that the first shaft (236) and the second shaft (238) stay in place during operation.
[088] In some embodiments, a coupling (216) or a rotator may be configured to assemble or disassemble at least two portions of the apparatus (100), and transfer power and rotational force to other components of the apparatus (100). In some embodiments, the third shaft (240) may be configured to transfer required energy for rotation of the at least two rollers (222a, 222b).
[089] In some embodiments, a stiffer (214) may be configured in at least side surfaces of the apparatus (100). The stiffer (214) may be used to provide required strength for holding the apparatus (100).
[090] In some embodiments, a bolt plate (218) may be configured to firmly fix the one or more components connected above a shell support (220) with the shell support (220). In some embodiments, the shell support (220) may be affixed to the base (112) of the apparatus (100). The shell support (220) may be utilized to hold and support the one or more components (e.g., the gearbox) connected above the shell support (220).
[091] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a robust and continuous apparatus for processing the agricultural waste to produce pellets. An important aspect of the present disclosure is to overcome the shortcomings, one of which is allowing the operators to adjust the gap between at least two rollers and the top die plate by offline manner without disturbing the entire apparatus. Another important aspect of the present disclosure is providing the cartridge-based heating mechanism to let the clogged materials to pass through the apertures of the die plate smoothly.
[092] Although FIGs. 1-2D shows exemplary components of the apparatus (100), in other embodiments, the apparatus (100) may include fewer components, different components, differently arranged components, or additional functional components than depicted in FIGs. 1-2D. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of the apparatus (100) may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the apparatus (100).
[093] FIG. 3A illustrates a flow chart of an example method (300A) for pre-processing agricultural waste for manufacturing pellets, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[094] With reference to FIG. 3A, the method (300A) for pre-processing the agricultural waste for manufacturing pellets may include the following steps. At 302, the method (300A) may include procuring an agricultural waste material. The agricultural waste material may include, but not limited to, cotton stalk, paddy straw, cane trash, etc., At 304, the method (300A) may include drying the agricultural waste material to attain a predefined moisture content. In this step, the agricultural waste material may be dried to remove excess moisture to achieve a specific moisture level, thereby ensuring optimal conditions for further processing, especially for pellet formation, which requires the material to be neither too wet nor too dry.
[095] At 306, the method (300A) may include reducing at least a size of the agricultural waste material to a predetermined length using a pre-processing device. The agricultural waste material may be reduced to a specific size using the pre-processing device like a shredder, hammer mill, or extruder, to ensure that the material is in the correct form for pelletizing. The pre-processing device may be selected based on a desired size of the pellets. Based on the desired diameter of the pellet, the agricultural waste may be accordingly shredded, hammered, and/or extruded to a required size.
[096] At 308, upon reducing the size of the agricultural waste material, the agricultural waste material may be fed into a pellet-making machine or an apparatus (100) for pelletizing the agriculture waste for manufacturing the pellets as per the manufacturing process (300B).
[097] FIG. 3B illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary method (300B) for manufacturing the pellets post pre-processing of the agricultural waste, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[098] The apparatus (100) may perform the manufacturing process as described in FIGs. 1-2D. The manufacturing process may include feeding (308-1) the agriculture waste material into a hopper (102) of the apparatus (100). The agriculture waste material may be compressed (308-2) and allowed to flow from the hopper (102) to at least two rollers (222a, 222b) by facilitating rotation of the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) at a predefined axis. Further, the method (300) may include initiating (308-3) a pushing mechanism to push the compressed agriculture waste material from the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) to continuously flow through a plurality of apertures (230) of each of a plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) to manufacture the pellets. This process may ensure that the agricultural waste is properly prepared and transformed into usable pellets, maximizing efficiency and effectiveness of the pellets.
[099] The pellets may be small and uniform, that can be used as fuel, animal feed, or other purposes. The pellets may be sustainable fuels and used as an alternative fuel to coal-based fuels for, for example, but not limited to, industrial boilers and furnaces, residential heaters, cooking stove, for power generation, gasification, etc. The pellets may also be used for gasification and for generation of synthesis gas.
[100] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be implemented merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[101] The present disclosure described herein above provides certain technical advancements over the existing prior art including, but not limited to:
[102] The present disclosure provides an apparatus for processing agricultural wastes that may be used as fuels.
[103] The present disclosure provides an apparatus with die plates that may be replaced during wear or tear.
[104] The present disclosure provides a sandwich die plate instead of a single die plate, which may be manufactured easily. A top plate may be subjected to wear and manufactured with a superior material and hardened, and the remaining plates may be manufactured with a regular steel material and heat treatment may not be required. Therefore, only the top plate needs to be replaced once it is worn out, which helps in reduction in replacement costs. The top plate may be kept in spare to improve a machine availability. The taper angle of the top plate may be varied depending on the raw material availability, thereby improving a flexibility of the apparatus for variety of raw materials.
[105] The present disclosure provides a robust apparatus that increases densification required to process the agricultural wastes.
[106] The present disclosure provides an apparatus that reduces manual and offline work of removing clogs in the die plates by providing cartridge-based heating mechanisms.
[107] The present disclosure reduces wear and tear of the die plates and maintains longevity of the apparatus.
[108] The present disclosure provides an apparatus that may be operated and maintained easily, since the apparatus includes replaceable die plates.
[109] The present disclosure ensures quick resumption of service after schedule maintenance, or breakdown maintenance.
[110] The present disclosure improves flexibility by considering optimum top plate based on a type of the agricultural waste.
[111] The present disclosure reduces offline working as a desired gap may be maintained and adjusted rapidly between the rollers and the top die plate externally without opening the apparatus completely.
[112] The present disclosure provides an apparatus that is economical, robust, easy-to-operate, and with longer longevity to pelletize the agricultural waste. ,CLAIMS:1. An apparatus (100) for pelletizing agriculture waste, comprising:
a hopper shell (104) comprising a cavity conformed to one or more features of a hopper (102), wherein the hopper (102) is configured to receive agriculture waste;
at least two rollers (222a, 222b) positioned inside the hopper shell (104), wherein the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) rotate at a predefined axis to compress the agriculture waste flowing from the hopper (102) to the at least two rollers (222a, 222b);
a plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) arranged below the at least two rollers (222a, 222b), wherein each of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) comprises a plurality of apertures (230),
wherein the compressed agriculture waste is pushed from the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and allowed to continuously flow through the plurality of apertures (230) to form pellets.
2. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) is configured with a cartridge-based heating mechanism (242), wherein the cartridge-based heating mechanism (242) is configured in one or more holes provided along both central and peripheral portion of each of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c).
3. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cartridge-based heating mechanism (242) is configured to facilitate heating of at least one die plate of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) to a predefined temperature, such that clogging of the solidified agriculture waste in one or more apertures of the plurality of apertures (230) is removed rapidly.
4. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) comprises at least one of: a top plate (210a), a middle plate (210b), and a bottom plate (210c).
5. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein one or more adjustment fixtures are configured between the bottom plate (210c) and a support ring (106), such that a gap between the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and the top die plate (210a) is maintained.
6. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein a thickness of the one or more adjustment fixtures is configured to adjust the gap between the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and the top die plate (210a).
7. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein one or more features of the top plate (210a) are set based on a type of the agriculture waste to ensure optimum operation of the apparatus (100).
8. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the middle plate (210b) is inserted or removed based on a type of the agriculture waste.
9. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bottom plate (210c) is configured as a relieving plate such that the pellets are easily pushed from the bottom plate (210c) to a pellet collector (228) which collects and stores the pellets.
10. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of die plates (210a, 210b, 210c) is made of a predefined thickness, and replaced without disassembling the apparatus (100) completely.
11. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, further comprises a wear indicator configured to detect a density of the agriculture waste, and indicate an operator to perform at least one of: adjust a gap between the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) and the top die plate (210a), and replace the top die plate (210a) during a wear, based on the density of the pellets.
12. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, further comprises a plurality of shafts, wherein a first shaft (236) of the plurality of shafts is affixed between the at least two rollers (222a, 222b) that are arranged opposite to each other.
13. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein a second shaft (238) of the plurality of shafts is configured vertically from a top portion to a bottom portion of the apparatus (100), and wherein a shaft head (206) of the second shaft comprises a hollow space conformed to an outer surface of the first shaft (236) such that the first shaft (236) is passed through the hollow space to connect the at least two rollers (222a, 222b).

14. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures (230) of each of the top die plate (210a), the middle die plate (210b), and the bottom die plate (210c) are of varied size based on the type of the agricultural waste.