Stalk biomass drying rate evaluation at various layers and drying parameters
2014
Ozollapins, M., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia) | Kakitis, A., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia) | Nulle, I., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia)
Stalk biomass is recognized as a potential renewable energy source. Biomass drying is one of the conditioning operations that is applied to material to achieve the necessary moisture content for briquetting or pelletizing. To develop efficient drying technology and avoid overdrying there is a need to determine the drying rates of materials in different temperatures of the drying agent. Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), reed (Phragmites australis L.) and hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) are potential energetic crops suitable for fuel production in Latvia. They can be combined with peat to increase fuel durability and density. In the research the drying rates of the above mentioned materials are determined at different layer thicknesses (50; 100; 150 mm), temperatures (65-95 ºC) and constant air flow (0.6 m·s -1). The results show differences in the drying technology needed for production of fuel with composite biomass structure. Reed canary grass has the highest drying rates, but has peat has the lowest. Because of the high moisture content in material, the drying rates are increasing till temperature of biomass reaches a certain level, after which the drying rates start to decrease. Drying of materials should be done separately to avoid dissimilar moisture content in the structure of fuel and loss of energy. The results provide data for design and technology of drying equipment. Material with the moisture content above 30 % should be pre-dried in natural drying (open field) to avoid excessively high energy input.
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