Biomass-fuel properties

Energy Processes and its Equipments

 Contents
• Classification of fuels
• Definition of lower and higher
heating value
• Analysis methods of solid fuels,
combustible and ash properties,
solid fuel supply systems
• Analysis methods of liquid fuels,
liquid fuel supply systems
• Analysis methods of gaseous fuels,
gaseous fuel supply systems
 Fuel classification
State of matter Fossil Renewable
• Solid Coal Biomass:
black, brown, lignite wood, cane, grass, etc.
energy plants & waste materials
• Liquid Crude Oil Biomass:
Petrol, kerosene, Vegetable oil & bio-diesel
Diesel Oil Bio-ethanol
• Gaseous Natural gas Bio-gas
Digester gas,
pyrolysis-gas from gasification
 Fuel features
• Fuels can be delivered, stored and
burned at different power level,
according to energy demands

Fossil Renewable
• Energy content High Low
• Delivery even for long only for short
distance distance
• Storage capacity small large
Circulation of Carbon
 Heating Value
• Heating value (calorific value) is the heat released by the fuel when completely
burnt, and may be determined at constant volume or constant pressure,
and flue gas is cooled back to the initial temperature (ambient temperature)

• - higher/gross heating/calorific value - assumes that the water vapor in the

products condenses and thus includes the latent
( HHV, Hs) heat of vaporization of the water vapor in the
products.
• - lower/net heating/calorific value - does not. contain the latent heat, the water
in flue gas remain in steam form at the initial
( LHV, Hi ) temperature

possible dimensions: MJ/kg, MJ/m3, kWh/kg, kWh/m3

LHV = HHV − mw ⋅ h fg − 9 ⋅ m H 2 ⋅ h fg
mw = mass of water vapor per unit mass of fuel
hfg = latent heat of vaporization of water vapor / at its partial
pressure in the combustion products [J/kgH2O]
mH2 = mass of original hydrogen per unit mass of fuel.
 Composition of solid fuels, and analysis methods

Original substance Green coal, damp wood, waste in original state

Incombustible, ballast
General composition Combustible
Mineral Moisture, or
matter Water content

Drying at ambient air Air-dry fuel

Free or
Water free fuel Hygroscopic surface
Drying at 105 °C moisture moisture,
Combustible Incombustible

Heating at 850 °C Coke residue

without air Total moisture,
Volatile matter Water content
Complete combustion Fix
at 850°°C Carbon Ash
(w)
Result: (fixC) (a)
Proximate analysis

Sulphur Nitrogen Oxygen Hydrogen Total

Ultimate analysis Carbon
(S) (N) (O) (H)
(C)
Properties of solid fuels
 Properties of solid fuels
Energy by Energy by Energy by Energy by
Bulk density
Fuel mass mass volume volume
kg/m3
GJ/tonne kWh/kg MJ/m3 kWh/m3
Wood chips
(Very
dependent on 7-15 2-4 175-350 2,000-3,600 600-1,000
moisture
content)
Log wood
(stacked - air
dry: 20% 15 4.2 300-550 4,500-8,300 1,300-2,300
moisture
content)
Wood (solid -
18-21 5-5.8 450-800 8,100-16,800 2,300-4,600
oven dry)
Wood pellets 18 5 600-700 10,800-12,600 3,000-3,500
Coal (lignite to
20-30 5.6-8.3 800-1,100 16,000-33,000 4,500-9,100
anthracite)
Oil 42 11.7 870 36,500 10,200

Natural gas 54 15 0.7 39 10.8

 Water or moisture content
• There are two methods used to calculate the moisture content, ‘Wet Basis’ and
‘Dry Basis’. The most common method in energy terms is wet basis, whilst
foresters tend to use the dry basis. It is important to note that the two methods
will give a different result for the same piece of wood.

Example
A quantity of wood has a total mass of 10kg. It is dried in an oven so that all water is
removed and then weighed. Its new mass is 8kg. The moisture content is calculated as:

WET BASIS
mass of water (2kg )
moisture content ( MC ) = = 20%
mass of wet wood (10kg )
DRY BASIS
mass of water (2kg )
moisture content ( MC ) = = 25%
mass of dry wood (8kg )
Relationship between water content
and calorific value of wood
 Wood as renewable
Fuel Advantages
Wood chips
Easy to produce locally from woodland
thinnings etc.

Much cheaper fuel costs.

Expenditure on wood fuel can benefit the
immediate local economy.
Wood
User input similar to conventional heating
pellets installations

Cheaper capital costs due to the drier and
more homogeneous nature of the fuel

Denser fuel means reduced storage space
and easier transport

Suitable for very small appliances
Logs
Logs can be stored and transported
conveniently when stacked

Ease of air passage through a log pile
allows good drying

Can be easily produced on site or very
locally
Disadvantages

Can require greater user input, depending
upon the quality of the fuel

System has a higher capital cost since wood
chips require larger storage capacity and
more robust fuel handling equipment

Need the services of a specialised chipper

Only suitable for larger appliances i.e. >25
kW

More expensive fuel costs

Supply is less likely to be localised and so
does not provide local economic impacts

Less suitable for automated systems
(although some do exist)

Large storage space required to allow 1 – 2
years for seasoning
Wood processing and woodchips collection
Pellet manufacturing from sawdust
 Ash
• Fuel contains incombustible parts,
known as ash,
mainly potassium (K), sodium (Na),
phosphorous (P), calcium (Ca),
silicon (Si).
• Halogen content (Cl) and (F) also important
from environmental and corrosion viewpoint
• Waste materials can contain heavy metals and
other pollutants
• Ash softening and melting properties are very
important for combustion management
Bunte-Baum test
Bunte-Baum test result
Leitz type heated microscope
 Leitz type heated microscope results

Original IDT SOT HT FT

(initial deformation) (softening) (hemispherical) (fluid)
 Composition of solid fuels
• Proximate analysis is used for combustion
behavior evaluation
• Ultimate analysis is used for combustion
(stoichiometric) calculations
• Ash softening properties are important from
combustion chamber operation
• Pollutants can be either neutral from combustion
viewpoint, (e.g. heavy metals)
or can take part in reaction (e.g. Cl to HCl)
but in both case are important from emission
viewpoint
 Fuel storage and supply system
• Fuel size and size distribution
- from combustion viewpoint size distribution
has to be in narrow range
- but milling or pressing has certain energy
demand
and increases fuel cost
• Task so this system is to prepare and feed fuel for
reaction and for feeding into the combustion
chamber.
• Furthermore fuel has to be available when it is
needed, so storage or utility connection is also
included in this system.
• In case preparation needs heat it is generally
supplied from the boiler, which is called self
consumption.
 Fuel storage example

Photo: Beacon Stoves

The log store should allow for plenty of air flow but should protect the logs from the rain
 Wood pellet storage and feeding

Bagged wood pellets Pellet store using partition walls and auger

Pellet store and vacuum pellet feed Pre-fabricated silo and auger
 Wood chip storage and feeding

Rotary stirrer facilitates removal of chips Wood chip bunker showing stirrer and
screw conveyor

Covered area for drying and storing large A ramp allows wood chips to be tipped
quantities of wood chips into the store
Wood chip storage and feeding
Wood chip
storage and
feeding
Wood chip
storage and
feeding
base plan
 Agricultural materials - straw
Form Bulk density Part mass
Kg/m3 Kg

Original 40-60 -
Small bale 70-120 8-25
Big round bale 60-120 300-400
Big quadrate bale 60-160 200-600
Briquett-pellet 300-600 0,02-0,3
Storage of bales
Straw-bale storage and feeding
Agricultural-pellet and briquette
 Proximate analysis data of
agricultural materials
Material water ash Volatile fix LHV of
[%] [%] matter carbon water
[%] [%] free
material
[MJ/kg]

Soy straw 7.45 4.25 66.2 22.1 17.0

Corn-stalk 8.9 3.9 71.4 15.8 17.6
Wheat straw 7.6 7.0 71.9 13.5 17.7
Energy grass 12.5 5.9 65.4 16.2 16.3
Sunflower stalk 6.46 11.83 60.8 21.2 13.6
Grapevine 8.1 1.95 61.5 28.45 18.0
Ultimate analysis data of agricultural materials
Material C H O N Ash Cl S
[%] [%] [%] [%] [%] [%] [%]

Haver straw 46.32 4.90 38.66 0.69 7.82 1.5 0.11

Wheat straw 46.88 6.12 41.04 0.77 4.70 0.38 0.11

Energy 45.86 5.66 40.48 0.88 6.74 0.27 0.11

grass
Miscanthus 48.5 5.45 42.16 0.51 3.12 0.22 0.045

Sunflower 46.0 6.10 39.6 1.1 7.00 0.20 -

husk
 Ash-melting behavior of different materials

IDT SOT HT FT
Unit ºC ºC ºC ºC
Acacia wood 1180 1200 1220 1220
Poplar wood 1175 1205 1230 1250
Willow wood 1210 1225 1250 1275
Wheat straw 848 956 1107 1241
Intensive grass 775 935 990 1055
Sewage sludge 1120 1180 1290 1320
Useful link: http://www.ecn.nl/phyllis2/
Biomass conversion types
 Summary
You are already familiar with:
• Properties of different fuels from
combustion viewpoint
• Classification of fuels
• Definition of lower and higher heating
value
• Analysis methods of solid fuels,
combustible and ash properties, solid fuel
supply systems
Thank You for Your Attention !