• What general characterisation data is available on solid biomass fuels?

    Date posted:

    • Post Author

      espadmin

1. Background

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2. Data Overview

Table 1
introduces the typical characterisation of several solid biomass fuels compared to a brown coal.

Table 1.
Fuel characterisation of solid biomass fuels and brown coal from [1]

Characterisation
Data

Brown
coal

Chopped
straw
(Rhineland)

Straw
pellets
(with
molasses)

Milled
straw
(wheat,
Rhineland)

Chopped
miscanthus
(Forchheim)
Bulk
density [kg/m3] 

567

35

603

40

135
Cut
length / particle size [mm] 

6%
> 1

40-50

50-70 (Æ 10)

1-7

5-10

Proximate
analysis %
Moisture
(raw) 

53.0

4.2

3.7

7.8

18.7

Volatile
matter (daf)

40.7

75.9

72.2

83.4

83.2
Ash
(raw) 

4.6

4.6

8.6

5.2

1.8

Ultimate
analysis %
C
(daf) 

65.61

46.00

44.15

49.74

49.89
H
(daf) 

4.72

5.62

5.80

6.07

5.86
N
(daf) 

0.68

n.d.

n.d.

0.75

0.39
S
(daf) 

0.54

0.11

0.19

0.07

0.07
O
(rest) 

28.45

–

–

43.37

43.79
Cl–
(dry) 

0.008

0.63

0.80

0.13

0.14

Calorific
value [MJ/kg}
(raw)

8.94

15.7

14.41

15.79

14.31
(dry)

24.38

17.32

16.56

18.37

18.80

Ash
composition, oxides % dry
SiO2

47.89

43.40

49.5

67.17

40.30
Al2O3

2.82

0.45

1.1

2.96

0.60
CaO

19.25

5.72

11.2

4.82

9.20
Fe2O3

11.25

0.18

0.6

2.00

0.62
TiO2

0.41

0.08

n.d.

0.28

0.05
MgO

7.80

173

27

1.71

3.29
Na2O

0.89

1.04

n.d.

0.98

0.16
K2O

0.53

33.03

21.0

17.99

28.10
SO3

9.64

2.76

3.8

5.05

7.53

Elements
[ppm] raw
Na

330

350

–

800

30
K

230

11,240

–

1,5820

5,250
Ca

6,860

1,660

–

3,540

1,480
Mg

2,350

440

–

1,070

450
Al

750

90

–

1,700

70
Si

11,140

8,280

–

33,250

4,240
Fe

3,900

87

–

1,510

100
Ti

140

0

–

180

10
Ca/S
ratio [mol/mol] 

2.16

3.38

3.59

2.24

–

Key:

[GLOSS]daf[/GLOSS] – dry ash free

n.d.-
no data available

Sources

[1]
Meschgbiz, A. & Krumbeck, M.: Combined combustion of biomass and brown coal
in a pulverized fuel and fluidised bed combustion plant. EC-research project: APAS, Clean Coal Technology Programme, Volume II:
Final Reports. (1992-1994).

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