Technical, Environmental, and Qualitative Assessment of the Oak Waste Processing and Its Usage for Energy Conversion

Algirdas Jasinskas, Ramūnas Mieldažys, Eglė Jotautienė, Rolandas Domeika, Edvardas Vaiciukevičius and Marek Marks
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Algirdas Jasinskas: Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Safety, Vytautas Magnus University, 48005 Kaunas District, Lithuania
Ramūnas Mieldažys: Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Safety, Vytautas Magnus University, 48005 Kaunas District, Lithuania
Eglė Jotautienė: Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Safety, Vytautas Magnus University, 48005 Kaunas District, Lithuania
Rolandas Domeika: Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Safety, Vytautas Magnus University, 48005 Kaunas District, Lithuania
Edvardas Vaiciukevičius: Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Safety, Vytautas Magnus University, 48005 Kaunas District, Lithuania
Marek Marks: Department of Agroecosystems, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-726 Olsztyn, Poland

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: The article analyses and evaluates the possibilities of using oak bark, oak leaves, and their mixtures for biofuel. The preparation of this waste for the burning process (milling, granulation) has been investigated and the results have been presented together with the analysis of the prepared granules’ properties—humidity, density, strength, elemental composition, ash content, caloric value, and others. The moisture content of the oak waste granules ranged from 8.1% to 12.5%, and the granules’ density ranged from 975.8 to 1122.2 kg m −3 DM (dry matter). The amount of oak ash found was very high (from 10.4% to 14.7%)—about 10 times higher than that of wood waste granules. The calorific value determined after burning the oak bark and leaves pellets was sufficiently high, ranging from 17.3 to 17.7 MJ kg −1 . This thermal value of oak waste granules was close to the calorific value of the herbaceous plant species and some types of wood waste. The environmental impact of burning the granules of oak waste was also assessed. The harmful emissions of carbon monoxide and dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and unburnt hydrocarbons into the environment were found to be below the permissible limits for the incineration of oak waste granules. The highest CO gas concentration, determined when burning the oak leaves, was 1187.70 mg m −3 , and the lowest NO x concentration, determined when burning the oak bark and leaf mixture granules, was 341.2 mg m −3 . The coefficient of energy efficiency R of the granulated oak leaves biofuel, when the oak waste biomass moisture content was reduced by 10%, reached 3.64. It was very similar to the results of previous studies of various types of granulated straw biofuel (3.5–3.7). The research results presented show that, given that the main parameters of oak waste meet the basic requirements of solid biofuel, oak bark, leaves, and their mixture can be recommended to be used as solid biofuels.

Keywords: oak waste; biofuel; granules; properties; burning; harmful emissions; energy efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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