Characteristics and Changes in the Properties of Cereal and Rapeseed Straw Used as Energy Feedstock

Mariusz Jerzy Stolarski, Michał Welenc, Michał Krzyżaniak, Ewelina Olba-Zięty, Jakub Stolarski and Sławomir Wierzbicki ()
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Mariusz Jerzy Stolarski: Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Bioresource Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-724 Olsztyn, Poland
Michał Welenc: Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Bioresource Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-724 Olsztyn, Poland
Michał Krzyżaniak: Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Bioresource Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-724 Olsztyn, Poland
Ewelina Olba-Zięty: Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Bioresource Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-724 Olsztyn, Poland
Jakub Stolarski: Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Bioresource Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-724 Olsztyn, Poland
Sławomir Wierzbicki: Department of Mechatronics, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 11, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-13

Abstract: Solid biofuels, including straw as production residue, are still the largest energy feedstock in the structure of primary energy production from renewable energy sources. However, the properties of straw as a solid biofuel can vary depending on the species from which it was produced and the harvest period and year. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the thermophysical properties and elemental composition of six types of straw (rye, oat, triticale, wheat, corn, and rapeseed straw) obtained over three consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022). Rye straw had the lowest moisture (mean: 10.55%), ash (mean: 2.71% DM), nitrogen (mean: 0.54% DM) and chlorine (mean: 0.046% DM) contents and the highest carbon content (mean: 47.93% DM), a higher heating value—HHV (mean: 19.03 GJ Mg −1 DM) and a lower heating value—LHV (mean: 15.71 GJ Mg −1 ). Triticale straw had similar properties, classifying it into the same cluster as rye straw. Corn straw had a remarkably high moisture content (mean: 48.91%), low LHV and high chlorine content. Rapeseed straw contained high levels of Cl, S, N and ash, and they were 643%, 481%, 104% and 169% higher, respectively, than those in rye straw. The sulfur, chlorine and moisture contents of the six straw types under study were highly variable during the three years of the study. Knowledge of the properties of different types of straw as energy feedstocks facilitates the logistics and organization of the supply of bioenergy installations. However, further research is needed, especially studies assessing the energy intensity and logistical costs of different types of straw used for energy purposes.

Keywords: agricultural solid biofuel; straw; rye straw; oat straw; triticale straw; wheat straw; corn straw; rapeseed straw; lower heating value; ash content; sulfur content; nitrogen content; chlorine content (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: 2024
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