Biomass Pre-treatment for the Production of Sustainable Energy : Emissions and Self-ignition

Abstract: Organic emissions with focus on terpenes, from biomass drying and storage were investigated by Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) and GC-FID and GC-MS. The remaining terpenes in the biomass (Spruce and pine wood chips) after drying were dependant on the drying temperature and drying medium used. The drying medium used was steam or hot air; the drying temperatures used were 140degreeC, 170degreeC and 200degreeC. Steam drying at 170degreeC left more of the terpenes remaining in the wood chips, not emitting them into the drying medium. The terpenes emitted from storage of forest residues and bark and wood chips increased up to three-four or four-five months of storage, and then dropped down to approximately the same low level as the first month. The leachate taken from the forest residue pile contained 27µg PAH per liter. The SPME response for a monoterpene (a-terpene) at different temperatures, amounts and humidities was quantified. The highest concentration calibrated was 250 ppm and the lowest 9.4 ppm. There is a better linear agreement at higher temperatures (70degreeC and 100degreeC) than lower temperatures (below 40degreeC). Organic emissions from biofuel combustion were measured at three medium sized (~ 1MW) biomass fired moving grate boilers fired with different fuels: dry wood fuel, forest residues and pellets. The PAH emissions varied by almost three orders of magnitude between the three boilers tested, 2.8-2500 microgram/m3. It was difficult to identify any general parameters correlating to the PAH emissions. The variation in PAH emission is most probably a result of boiler design and tuning of the combustion conditions. When comparing the contribution to self-heating from different wood materials by means of isothermal calorimetry with different metals added and stored at different temperatures, the differences were quite large. Some of the samples released as much as 600mW/kg, whereas others did not contribute at all to the self-heating. The storage temperature, at which the samples released the most heat, was 50C. There was a peak in heat release for most of the samples after 10-30 days. Stepwise increase in temperature did not favour the heat release in the sample Dry Mix; the heat released was even lower than when it was directly put in the different storage temperatures. When metal is added, there is an increase in heat release, the reference sample without metal released 200mW/kg compared to 600mW when copper was added.