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Low emission wood pellets by using smart raw material and additive blends

Conference Paper · June 2014

DOI: 10.13140/2.1.2617.1208

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Marius Wöhler Matthias Gehrig

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 Low emission wood pellets by using
smart raw material and additive blends
Matthias Gehriga , Stefan Pelza, Jens Steinbrinka , Harald Thorwartha , Marius Wöhlera*
a University of Applied Forest Sciences Rottenburg, Schadenweilerhof, D-72108 Rottenburg am Neckar, Germany

*Corresponding author: woehler@hs-rottenburg.de, phone: +49 7472 951 269, fax: +49 7472 951 200

Background Results
The EU climate and energy strategy 2020 relies on a considerable increase The following results are expected within the EiBA project:
of biomass utilization for heating purpose. In the sector of house heating  Pelletization behaviour of various feedstock and additive blends
systems wood pellets play an increasing role in Europe. In recent years
 Influence of additive shares and feedstock mixture on chemical and
wood pellets where mainly produced from saw mill residues (i.e. spruce
physical pellet properties
sawdust). Due to increasing demand new feedstock resources like bio-
mass from short rotation coppice (SRC) have to be considered in upcoming  Characterisation of different blends on combustion behaviour and for-
years. However, the chemical composition of SRC differs significantly from mation of gaseous and aerosol emissions
spruce wood which leads to a changed combustion behavior including  Detailed description of influence of blending on potash and particulate
higher particle matter (PM) emissions. These particle emissions can seri- matter by chemical analysis
ously affect human health1, 2. This aspects leading to a conflict between the The following charts shows the first results of the feedstock characterisa-
use of new feedstock resources and thresholds of European and national tion. Further project results will be published in the coming year.
emission regulations. A possible approach to solve the conflict is the devel-
Ash content per particle fraction of EiBA feedstock
opment of improved SRC pellets with low emission combustion properties.
2.5
Previous studies have shown the potential of fuel additives to reduce PM
emissions from biomass combustion3. The EiBA project aims the develop-
Ash content [wt.% (dry base)]

2.0
ment of low emission wood pellets using blends of two different feedstock
and kaolin (Al2Si2H4O9) as an additive. 1.5

Material & Method 1.0

The EiBA project contains the following main steps: 0.5

 Characterization of the used feedstock and additives 0.0

> 3.15 2.8 - 3.15 2.0 - 2.8 1.4 - 2.0 1.0 - 1.4 0.5 - 1.0 0.25 - 0.5 < 0.25
 Mixing and conditioning of 9 different raw material blends with variation in Particle fraction [mm]
feedstock and additive ratio Willow SRC Spruce sawdust

 Pelletization using a semi-industrial ring die pellet mill (type: Münch, RMP Particle size distribution of EiBA feedstock
250, capacity 150 kg/h) 45%

 Determination of chemical and physical pellet properties

40%

35%
 Combustion tests using a 12 kW residential underfeed pellet burner and 30%
gaseous and aerosol emissions measurement 25%

 Analysis of potash and particulate matter (PM1) 20%

The wood pellets are mixed from two feedstock sources, the common used 15%

binder wheat starch and kaolin (Al2Si2H4O9). The following table shows the 10%

main properties of the feedstock: 5%

0%
Spruce SRC > 3.15 mm 2.8 - 3.15 mm 2.0 - 2.8 mm 1.4 - 2.0 mm 1.0 - 1.4 mm 0.5 - 1.0 mm 0.25 - 0.5 mm < 0.25 mm
Willow SRC [n=6] Spruce sawdust [n=3]
Sawdust from unbarked Sawdust made of willow (Salix spec.)
spruce (Picea abies), delivered wood chips.
from a commercial pellet plant Clon: Tordis, 5 years old, second harvest Conclusion
Within the EiBA project the production and utilization of mixed wood pel-
lets from spruce and willow in combination with the additive kaolin is stud-
ied. The work includes the raw material conditioning, pelletization and com-
bustion of various blends. The results will be published in the upcoming
year and will demonstrate the pelletization properties and pellet quality of
blends and the influence on gaseous and aerosol emissions in a residential
12 kW underfeed pellet burner as well.

Acknowledgement
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Ministry of Science,
Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg.
1
Jalava, P.; Happo, M.; Kelz, J.; Brunner, T.; Hakulinen, P.; Mäki-Paakkanen, J. et al. (2012): In vitro toxicological characterization of particulate emissions from residential biomass heating systems based on old and new technologies. In Atmospheric Environment 50 (0), pp. 24–35.
2
Chapman, R.; Watkinson, W.; Dreher, K.; Costa, D. (1997): Ambient particulate matter and respiratory and cardiovascular illness in adults: particle-borne transition metals and the heart–lung axis. In Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 4 (3–4), pp. 331–338
3
Boman, C.; Boström D.; Öhman, M. (2008): Effect of fuel additive sorbents (kaolin and calcite) on aerosol particle emission and characteristics during combustion of pelletized woody biomass. In proceedings of 16th European Biomass Conference & Exhibition 2008, Valencia Spain

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