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- Boström, Dan, et al.
(author)
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Ash transformation chemistry during energy conversion of biomass
- 2010
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In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Impact of Fuel Quality on Power production and the Environment. - : Impacts of Fuel Quality.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- There is relatively extensive knowledge available concerning ash transformation reactions during energy conversion of woody biomass. Traditionally, these assortments have constituted the main resources for heating in Sweden. In recent decades the utilization of these energy carriers has increased, from a low technology residential small scale level to industrial scale (e.g. CHP plants). Along this evolution ash-chemical related phenomena for woody biomass has been observed and studied. So, presently the understanding for these are, if not complete, fairly good. Briefly, from a chemical point of view the ash from woody biomass could be characterized as a silicate dominated systems with varying content of basic oxides and with relatively high degree of volatilization of alkali sulfates and chlorides. Thus, the main ash transformation mechanisms in these systems have been outlined. Here, an attempt to give a general description of the ash transformation reactions of biomass fuels is presented, with the intention to provide guidance in the understanding of ash matter behavior in the utilization of any biomass fuel, primarily from knowledge of the concentrations of ash forming elements but also by considering the physical condition in the specific combustion appliance and the physical characteristic of the biomass fuel. Furthermore, since the demand for CO2-neutral energy resources has increased the last years and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future, other biomasses as for instance agricultural crops has become highly interesting. Globally, the availability of these shows large variation. In Sweden, for instance, which is a relatively spare populated country with large forests, these bio-masses will play a secondary role, although not insignificant. In other parts of the world, more densely populated and with a large agricultural sector, such bio-masses may constitute the main energy bio-mass resource in the future. However, the content of ash forming matter in agricultural bio-mass is rather different in comparison to woody biomass. Firstly, the content is much higher; from being about 0.3 - 0.5% (wt) in stem wood, it can amount to between 2 and 10 %(wt) in agricultural biomass. In addition, the composition of the ash forming matter is different. Shortly, the main difference is due to a much higher content of phosphorus (occasionally also silicon) which has major consequences on the ash-transformation reactions. In many crops, the concentration of phosphorus and silicon is equivalent, which (depending on the concentration levels of basic oxides) may result in a phosphate dominated ash. The properties of this ash are in several aspects different from the silicate dominated woody biomass ash and will consequently behave differently in various types of energy conversion systems. The knowledge about phosphate dominated ash systems has so far been scarce. We have been working with these systems, both with basic and applied research, for about a decade know. Some general experiences and conclusions as well as some specific examples of our research will be presented
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| 3. |
- Werner, Kajsa, et al.
(author)
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Co-combustion of miscanthus and calcium rich brown macroalgae
- 2016
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In: Proceedings of 22nd International Conference of Impacts of Fuel Quality on Power Production, September 19-23, Prague, Czech Republic. ; , s. 9 pages-
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The high ash content and varying ash composition from aquatic biomass is often mentioned as problematic if used for thermal energy conversion. This paper suggests a fuel design approach where detailed information on ash composition is the starting point for mixing and using fuels considered to be difficult. The procedure is demonstrated on brown macroalgae grown for biorefinery purposes in sea water. The fuel fingerprint (concentrations of the main ash forming elements) showed an interesting profile with very high Ca content together with significant amounts of Mg, K, Na, Cl, S, and also some minor contributions from Si and P. After careful considerations, it was concluded that this specific alga would be suitable for co-combustion with a silicone rich biofuel that would typically require some additive to avoid ash melting. One such fuel is Miscanthus. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare algae as a renewable source of Ca with mineral CaCO3 to reduce the risk of alkali silicate melt formation in combustion of the energy crop Miscanthus. The Miscanthus was co-pelletized with algal biomass and CaCO3, both at Ca/(K+Na) molar ratios of 1.5 and 3.0, and combusted in a bubbling fluidized bed. in. The ash reactions were assessed by analyzing samples from bed, deposit probe, cyclone, and particulate matter with SEM-EDS and P-XRD. The results showed that Ca from the algae reacted with the Miscanthus ash, forming less problematic silicate ash fractions. At the low combustion temperatures used (
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- Borén, Eleonora, 1985-
(author)
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Off-gassing from thermally treated lignocellulosic biomass
- 2017
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Off-gassing of hazardous compounds is, together with self-heating and dust explosions, the main safety hazards within large-scale biomass storage and handling. Formation of CO, CO2, and VOCs with concurrent O2 depletion can occur to hazardous levels in enclosed stored forest products. Several incidents of CO poisoning and suffocation of oxygen depletion have resulted in fatalities and injuries during cargo vessel discharge of forest products and in conjunction with wood pellet storage rooms and silos. Technologies for torrefaction and steam explosion for thermal treatment of biomass are under development and approaching commercialization, but their off-gassing behavior is essentially unknown.The overall objective of this thesis was to provide answers to one main question: “What is the off-gassing behaviour of thermally treated lignocellulosic biomass during storage?”. This was achieved by experimental studies and detailed analysis of off-gassing compounds sampled under realistic conditions, with special emphasis on the VOCs.Presented results show that off-gassing behavior is influenced by numerous factors, in the following ways. CO, CO2 and CH4 off-gassing levels from torrefied and stream-exploded biomass and pellets, and accompanying O2 depletion, are comparable to or lower than corresponding from untreated biomass. The treatments also cause major compositional shifts in VOCs; emissions of terpenes and native aldehydes decline, but levels of volatile cell wall degradation products (notably furans and aromatics) increase. The severity of the thermal treatment is also important; increases in torrefaction severity increase CO off-gassing from torrefied pine to levels comparable to emissions from conventional pellets, and increase O2 depletion for both torrefied chips and pellets. Both treatment temperature and duration also influence degradation rates and VOC composition. The product cooling technique is influential too; water spraying in addition to heat exchange increased CO2 and VOCs off-gassing from torrefied pine chips, as well as O2 depletion. Moreover, the composition of emitted gases co-varied with pellets’ moisture content; pellets of more severely treated material retained less moisture, regardless of their pre-conditioning moisture content. However, no co-variance was found between off-gassing and pelletization settings, the resulting pellet quality, or storage time of torrefied chips before pelletization. Pelletization of steam-exploded bark increased subsequent VOC off-gassing, and induced compositional shifts relative to emissions from unpelletized steam-exploded material. In addition, CO, CO2 and CH4 off-gassing, and O2 depletion, were positively correlated with the storage temperature of torrefied softwood. Similarly, CO and CH4 emissions from steam-exploded softwood increased with increases in storage temperature, and VOC off-gassing from both torrefied and steam-exploded softwood was more affected by storage temperature than by treatment severity. Levels of CO, CO2 and CH4 increased, while levels of O2 and most VOCs decreased, during storage of both torrefied and steam-exploded softwood.CO, CO2 and O2 levels were more affected by storage time than by treatment severity. Levels of VOCs were not significantly decreased or altered by nitrogen purging of storage spaces of steam-exploded or torrefied softwood, or controlled headspace gas exchange (intermittent ventilation) during storage of steam-exploded bark.In conclusion, rates of off-gassing of CO and CO2 from thermally treated biomass, and associated O2 depletion, are comparable to or lower than corresponding rates for untreated biomass. Thermal treatment induces shifts in both concentrations and profiles of VOCs. It is believed that the knowledge and insights gained provide refined foundations for future research and safe implementation of thermally treated fuels as energy carriers in renewable energy process chains.
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| 8. |
- Borén, Eleonora, et al.
(author)
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Reducing VOCs off-gassing during production of pelletized steam exploded bark : impact of storage time and controlled ventilation
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- VOC off-gassing behavior of thermally treated biomass intended for bioenergy production has recently been shown to be vastly different to that of untreated biomass. Simple measures to reduce emissions, such as controlled ventilation and prolonged storage time, has been suggested but not previously studied in detail. In the present study, we monitored how VOC off-gassing was reduced over time (24–144h) in closed storage with and without ventilation. Steam exploded bark was collected directly from a pilot scale steam explosion plant, and before and after subsequent pelletizing. Storage and active sampling of VOCs in the headspace was done in a bench-scale set-up using Tenax-TA absorbent. The impact of storage time and ventilation to reduce VOCs was evaluated through multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that VOC concentrations in the headspace were reduced by increased storage time, and that heavier VOCs reduced faster. No impact on either reducing or shifting VOC composition could be achieved by controlled ventilation during storage; instead, VOCs emitted to the same concentrations anew, independent of process step, storage time, or number of ventilations.
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