Combustion of Poplar and Pine Pellet Blends in a 50 kW Domestic Boiler: Emissions and Combustion Efficiency

Esperanza Monedero, Henar Portero and Magín Lapuerta
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Esperanza Monedero: Instituto de Investigación en Energías Renovables, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete 02006, Spain
Henar Portero: Instituto de Investigación en Energías Renovables, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete 02006, Spain
Magín Lapuerta: Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real 13071, Spain

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 6, 1-17

Abstract: Poplar pellets with and without Ca, Mg-lignosulphonate and three poplar and pine pellet blends (with three different percentages of pine—5, 45 and 95 wt.%) were burned in a 50 kW domestic boiler in order to evaluate their suitability as fuels. The boiler efficiency and emissions were analyzed and compared with those from tests with poplar pellet. It was found that the adequate adjustment of excess air and of flowrate of secondary air according to the fuel properties improve the combustion efficiency. The results show an improvement in CO and NO x emissions and combustion efficiency when either Ca, Mg-lignosulphonate or pine were blended with poplar. However, the use of Ca, Mg-lignosulphonate is discouraged due to the observed increase in SO x emissions. No operational problems related with unburned matter or ash were observed for any of the pellet blends tested.

Keywords: poplar; pellet blends; boiler combustion; emissions; combustion efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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