Comparison of Emissions and Efficiency of Two Types of Burners When Burning Wood Pellets from Different Suppliers

Grzegorz Pełka, Marta Jach-Nocoń, Marcin Paprocki (), Artur Jachimowski, Wojciech Luboń, Adam Nocoń, Mateusz Wygoda, Paweł Wyczesany, Przemysław Pachytel and Tomasz Mirowski
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Grzegorz Pełka: Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, 30 Mickiewicz Ave, 30-059 Cracow, Poland
Marta Jach-Nocoń: Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 60 Będzińska St., 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
Marcin Paprocki: Department of Product Technology and Ecology, College of Management and Quality Sciences, Cracow University of Economics, Rakowicka 27 St., 31-510 Cracow, Poland
Artur Jachimowski: Department of Product Technology and Ecology, College of Management and Quality Sciences, Cracow University of Economics, Rakowicka 27 St., 31-510 Cracow, Poland
Wojciech Luboń: Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, 30 Mickiewicz Ave, 30-059 Cracow, Poland
Adam Nocoń: PPUH ZAMECH Zygmunt Nocoń, 171 Staszica St., 41-250 Czeladź, Poland
Mateusz Wygoda: Department of Product Technology and Ecology, College of Management and Quality Sciences, Cracow University of Economics, Rakowicka 27 St., 31-510 Cracow, Poland
Paweł Wyczesany: Department of Product Technology and Ecology, College of Management and Quality Sciences, Cracow University of Economics, Rakowicka 27 St., 31-510 Cracow, Poland
Przemysław Pachytel: Instytut Zrównoważonej Energii “Miękinia” Sp. z o.o., Miekinia 380, 32-065 Krzeszowice, Poland
Tomasz Mirowski: Mineral and Energy Economic Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 7A Wybickiego St., 31-261 Cracow, Poland

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: Wood pellets play an important role among biomass materials used as fuel. At the same time, today’s economic, environmental, political and social realities, as well as other circumstances related to fuels used for heat generation, mean that there is demand for increasingly efficient and environmentally friendly combustion sources. As is well known, each combustion source has a different efficiency due to its intended use, design, principle of operation and the type and composition of the fuel burned. The amount of pollutants emitted into the environment during combustion also largely depends on these factors. The aim of this study was to compare the flue gas emissions and efficiency of two pellet burners of different design, burning certified A1 wood pellets from different suppliers. The emission requirements were met during the combustion of wood pellets in a boiler with the two burners tested (one with a moving grate and an overfed burner). The analyses and studies carried out aim to improve the capability of managing the efficiency and environmental performance of the heat source (i.e., a boiler or a burner) and the fuel (type of wood pellets). This is done in the context of demonstrating a better combustion source when selecting the right burner and fuel in terms of efficiency and emissions. In this paper, comparisons of flue gas emissions are presented along with characteristics in the form of graphs, as well as thermal and combustion efficiencies for the corresponding solid fuel used in the form of wood pellets. After comparing the emissions, it was found that the statistical averages of CO, NOx, dust and VOCs were similar for combustion at full power using the burners tested. Taking into account the pollution levels at combustion, it can be said that the difference in CO emissions at full and minimum combustion is lower for the experimental burner compared with the moving grate burner (reference burner). In summary, it can be concluded that the experimental overfed burner under consideration can be successfully used as a solid fuel boiler to burn wood pellets.

Keywords: wood pellets combustion; wood pellets; emissions; combustion efficiency; efficiency of pellet boiler; pellet burners (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: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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