ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Technological-Technical and Environmental
Evaluation of Herbaceous Plant Usage for
the Production and Burning
of Granulated Biofuel
More details
Hide details
1
Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Safety, Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Kaunas, Lithuania
2
Institute of Agroecosystems and Soil Science, Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Kaunas, Lithuania
3
Department of Agroecosystems, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland
Submission date: 2018-07-16
Final revision date: 2018-10-12
Acceptance date: 2018-10-21
Online publication date: 2019-07-30
Publication date: 2019-09-17
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2019;28(6):4369-4379
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Three unconventional herbaceous energy plants – sida (Sida hermaphrodita Rusby), elephant grass
(Miscanthus giganteus) and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) – were grown and investigated
in the experimental fields of Aleksandras Stulginskis University, and the technical means of plant
preparation and usage for energy purposes were investigated. The physical-mechanical characteristics
(moisture content, density, flow angles) of chopped and milled unconventional energy plants were
investigated. These characteristics are required to project and choose the supply, transportation and
storage equipment. In evaluating the quality of plant chopping and milling, the fractional compositions
of reed canary grass, sida and elephant grass chaff as well as the mill were determined. The largest
chaff fraction was found in a sieve with 8-mm diameter holes (from 52.0 to 62.7%), and the largest mill
fraction was found in a sieve with 0.5- and 0.63-mm diameter holes (from 37.6 to 46.4%). The pellet
moisture content was sufficiently low and varied from 6.7% to 9.6%. The highest density was determined
in reed canary grass pellets (1035.1±63.9 kg m-3 DM), and the lowest density was in elephant grass pellets
(653.6±67.1 kg m-3 DM). The emission of harmful gases was determined when various unconventional
energy plants were burned. The highest concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) was observed when
burning elephant grass (2294.7 ppm), and the smallest concentration of CO was observed when burning
reed canary grass (905.2 ppm). The most carbon dioxide was detected when burning sida (7.9%), and
the smallest when burning elephant grass (5.2%). The nitrogen oxide emissions differed only
insignificantly; the values ranged from 176.2 ppm (Reed canary grass) to 216.1 ppm (Elephant grass).
The production of granules, when biomass was not dried artificially in a dryer, was calculated to have
a prime cost of 0.12 EUR/kg. When energetic grasses were dried using dispergation, the primary cost
increases to 0.13 EUR/kg.