Effect of vibration frequency on the vibration-assisted densification for alfalfa

Densifying alfalfa into briquettes is one of the effective ways to increase its density and reduce the cost of storage and transportation. To explore the influence of vibration frequency on alfalfa briquetting, vibration-assisted compression tests with six vibration frequencies of 0, 9.52, 15.56, 21.24, 27.50, and 33.44 Hz were carried out. The results showed that the compression with vibration could reduce the maximum forming pressure and the energy consumption. The quality of alfalfa briquettes was improved compared with the compression without vibration. Within the range of test, when the vibration frequency was 21.24 Hz, the maximum pressure was the minimum, which was 5.83 MPa. In addition, the specific energy consumption was the lowest, which was 1374 J/g/cm3. The experimental results provided a basis for determining the optimum vibration parameters of alfalfa compression.