Characterizationofbiomassas

afeedstockofalternatefuels
 Biomass:Biomassisthecommonnamefororganicmaterials
usedasrenewableenergysourcessuchas;wood,cropsand
waste.
Itisabiologicalmaterialderivedfromlivingorrecently
livingorganisms

Properties:
Classificationofbiomass
1)Woodandwoodyfuels
Origin
2)Herbaceousandagricultural
1.Primaryresidue
3)Wastes
2.Secondaryresidue
4)Derivates
3.Tertiaryresiduefuels
5)Aquatic
4.Energycrops
6)Energycrops
 Biomassexamples:
woodchips ricestraw

bagasse ricehusk
 Herbaceousandagriculturalbiomassfuels
Perennialandfieldbasedgrassessuchas:
Grassesandflowers
alfalfa,arundo,bamboo,bana,brassica,miscanthus,
switchgrass,timothyetc
Straws
barley,bean,flax,corn,mint,oat,rape,rice,rye,
sesame,sunflower,wheat
Otherresidues
fruits,shells,husks,hulls,pits,pips,grains,seeds,coir,
stalks,cobs,kernels,bagasse,food,fodder,pulps,
cakes
Advantages Disadvantages
Renewableenergysource Incompleterenewableenergy
fornaturalbiomass resourceforbiomassfuelwith
CO2neutralconversion respecttothecompletelife
andclimatechange cycleassessment
benefits Commonlyhighcontentsof
Commonlylowcontents moisture,Cl,K,Na,Mn,and
ofash,C,S,Nandtrace sometraceelements
elements Lowenergydensity
Ruralrevitalizationwith Regionalavailability
creationofnewjobs Potentialtechnological
Hugeavailabilityand problemsduringheat
relativelycheapresource treatment
Biomass
Conversion
Technologies
 Methodsofbiomassfuelanalysis

ProximateAnalysis: UltimateAnalysis:
Moisture,Ash, Carbon,Hydrogen,
Volatilematter Nitrogen,Sulfur,
FixedCarbon Chlorine,Oxygen,
AshElemental
Combustionpropertiesofbiomass

Macroscopic
Ultimateanalysis,Heatingvalue,
Moisturecontent,Particlesize,Bulk
density,Ashfusiontemperature

Microscopic
Thermal,Chemicalkinetic,Mineraldata
 BiomassComposition
BiomasscomposedofLignin,Cellulose,
hemicellulose,lipids,Proteins,simplesugars,
starches,water,hydrocarbon,ashetc

Duetothecarbohydratestructure,biomassis
highlyoxygenatedwithrespecttoconventional
fossilfuelsincludingHCliquidsandcoals

Thecombinationofhighoxygenandhighorganic
volatilematterinbiomassindicatesapotential
forcreatinglargeamountsofinorganicvapors
duringcombustion
 Problemsrelatedwithbiomassconversion

Problemsrelatedtobiomassplanting,growing,
harvesting,transport
Classificationandstandardsandcommon
awareness
Lackofinformationanddata
Cocombustionwithfossilfuels
CommonelementslikeCa,Cl,K,Na,P,Si,and
heavymetalsareresponsiblefortechnological
andenvironmentalproblemsduringbiomass
processing
Comparisonwithwoodybiomass
 Woodybiomasshasalowashcontent[1.5
4%],averylowsulfur content[0.030.08%],
andhighcombustiblecontent[9598%]

Theconcentrationofashinsoftwoodsis1%,
anditcangrowsupto15%inherbaceous
biomassandagriculturalresiduesdueto
presenceofsignificantproportionsof
inorganicspecies.
 Problemswithagriculturalresidues

o Lowbulkdensity,sodensificationisrequired
foreffectivetransportation,storageandfiring.
o Containshighvolatilematter
o Lowashmeltingpoint

Duetohighcontentsofvolatilematterandthe
lowparticledensitiesoftheagriculturalresidues
aswell,theyneedtooperateattemperatures
belowtheashmeltingpoint.
 Combustionchallenges[slagging/fouling]

Ashcomponents:K,Si,Mg,Caresultshighalkali
indicesanditresultshightendencytofouling.
Slaggingandfoulingreducesheattransferof
combustorsurfacesandcausescorrosionand
erosionproblemswhichreducethelifetimeofthe
equipment.

Chlorineaffectstheoperationbycorrosion
Thetemperaturesinthecombustionfurnace
belowthemeltingpointoftheash,high
concentrationsoftheunburntpollutantsmaybe
expectedinthefluegas.
Ashcontentinbiomass

AshoxidespresentinbiomassCaO,SiO2,
MgO,K2O,Al2O3,P2O5etc
Ashcompositionisimportanttopreventthe
corrosion
Thecombustiontemperaturesignificantly
affectsthetotalyieldofashfrombiomass
Biomassashdoesnotcontaintoxicmetals
likecoalash
Ashchemicalcomposition
 Ashanalysis
Therolealkaliandchlorineincorrosion
Chlorineisafacilitatorofalkalivolatilization,important
contributortocorrosionmetalwastageandpollution
Higherpercentageofalkalimetals[K]inbiomassashwithClin
herbaceousbiomassaremainchallenges
Herbaceousfuelscontainsiliconandpotassiumastheir
principleashformingconstituents
Chlorinefacilitatesthemobilityofmanyinorganiccompounds
mainlyPotassium,Clplaysashuttlerolefacilitatingthe
transportofalkaliconcentration

Alkaliplaysarolein
(i)Reactionofalkaliandsilicato formalkalisilicatesthatmeltsat
lowtemperature
(ii)Thereactionofalkaliwithsulfurto formalkalisulfates on
combustorheattransfersurfaces
 Slagging/Foulingindices

Ashbehaviouranddepositiontendenciespredicted
throughslaggingandfoulingindices

Alkaliindex,A.I=

A.I=0.170.34probableslagging,>0.34slagging

BedAgglomerationIndex,
%
BAI=
%
 Slaggingcharacteristicsofbiomassfuels
Siliconandsilicatestogetherwithalkalimetalsresultsslag
formation
Depositsarecommonlyknownasthelayersofashcollected
onthesurfaceofheattransferequipment
Corrosionis thedeteriorationofintrinsicpropertiesofa
materialduetoreactionwithitsenvironment
AlkalimetalsmainlyK,Nareadilyreleasedtothegasphase
duringcombustionandformedalkalisilicatesthatmeltatlow
temperatures[lowerthan700oC]providesastickysurfacefor
enhanceddeposition
Straw,Cereals,grassescontainrelativelyhighlevelsofCl,S
andalkalimetalswhichcausescorrosionanddeposit
formation.TheirashescontainrelativelylowCabuthighK,Si
contentsandthereforestarttosinterandmeltatsignificantly
lowertemperaturethanashesfromwoodfuels.
 Optimizationofcombustionfacilities

Flamecontrol
Developmentsofnewcombustion
technologies
Valorisationofalternatefuels
 Conclusions
o Woodybiomasshasalowashcontent,verylowsulphur
contentandhighcombustiblecontent.
o AlladditivessuchasKaolin,Dolomite,Limestone,Alumina,
Bauxiteetc reducetheslagging/foulingpotentialcausedbythe
alkalis
o Fluidizedbedsarebestsuitedtohandlethecombustionissues
becauseoftheirflexibility,stability,andefficiency
o Si,Ca,K,Phavedirectinfluenceonashfusionanddeposition
infurnaces
o Leachingwithwaterresultedsignificantreductionofthe
problematicelementssuchasK,Na,P,Clpresentintheashes
o Thechemicalcompositionofbiomassfuelsespeciallyash
formingelementsinfluencethechoiceofanappropriate
combustionandprocesscontroltechnology