Effect of fuel additives on agricultural straw pellet quality

Authors

  • Shahram Emami Department of Plant Science, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8, Canada
  • Lope G. Tabil Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada
  • Phani Adapa Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK S7N 3H5, Canada
  • Elizabeth George Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada
  • Ashwini Tilay Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada
  • Ajay Dalai Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada;
  • Mark Drisdelle Evergreen Biofuels Inc., 129 Como Gardens, Hudson, QC J0P 1H0, Canada
  • Lily Ketabi Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Keywords:

biomass, biofuels, slag, foul, pelleting, fuel additive

Abstract

An investigation was conducted to determine the effect of addition of different levels of AK2, a fuel additive that reduces ash fusion for agricultural biomass, on the physico-chemical properties of biomass pellets. Three different biomass straws, barley, oat, and wheat were ground at two hammer mill screen sizes of 0.8 mm and 1.6 mm. Each ground biomass sample was mixed with three levels of AK2, 0.05%, 0.10%, and 0.15% by mass and also a blank (no AK2) was set aside for comparison. Pellets were made using single-pelleting unit at a pre-set load of 4 400 N corresponding to a pressure of 138.9 MPa. Physical quality of pellets were determined by measuring pellet density, relaxed density, durability, and the specific energy required to make a pellet. Pellets having higher durability values (74%-88%) were obtained from ground straw at hammer screen size of 0.8 mm and AK2 level of 0.15% compared to other treatments. Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur content of blank pellets and those with 0.15% AK2 at hammer screen size of 0.8 mm were determined. Pellets made with 0.15% AK2 at hammer screen size of 0.8 mm, manufactured by pilot-scale pellet mill, were gasified and the tar content was determined. The tar content of pellets with 0.15% AK2 was significantly lower than blank pellets. Keywords: biomass, biofuels, slag, foul, pelleting, fuel additive DOI: 10.3965/j.ijabe.20140702.011 Citation: Emami S, Tabil L G, Adapa P, George E, Tilay A, Dalai A, et al. Effect of fuel additives on agricultural straw pellet quality. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2014; 7(2): 92-100.

Author Biographies

Shahram Emami, Department of Plant Science, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8, Canada

Manager of Bioprocessing Pilot Plant, Department of Plant Sciences

Lope G. Tabil, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Dr. Tabil started at the Department of Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering of the University of Saskatchewan in August 2000. Prior to this position, Dr. Tabil was a Research Engineer with the then Agricultural Value-added Engineering Centre (AVEC) of Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development from October 1997 to July 2000. Prior to joining AVEC, he worked as a Research Associate for over a year at the Department of Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering of the University of Saskatchewan. He worked on an NSERC-funded project on "Alfalfa Cube Quality Characterization". He was also involved in a project evaluating binders in compressed forages. Dr. Tabil's Ph.D. research was on the "Pelleting and Binding Characteristics of Alfalfa". He has expertise in pelleting of feeds and forage and optimizing the process involved in feed and forage processing, physical properties of agricultural materials and postharvest technology of agricultural crops.

The areas of research in which he works and maintains interest include bioprocess engineering, value-added engineering and postharvest handling of crops. He has also conducted applied research and development projects related to value-added processing of agricultural products including storage, drying and cooling, and physical properties of agricultural and biological materials. For the past few years, he has been working in projects dealing with the utilization of flax straw as fibre reinforcement for biocomposites. He is presently working on bioplastic development from pulse starch, postharvest treatment for red lentil milling, and conversion of lignocellulosic waste into bioproducts, and many others. Dr. Tabil continues to work and have interest in projects such as agricultural waste and processing byproduct utilization and the processing of agricultural materials into industrial products.

Phani Adapa, Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK S7N 3H5, Canada

Assistant Director, Global Institute for Water Security

Elizabeth George, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Ashwini Tilay, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Ajay Dalai, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada;

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Professor

Mark Drisdelle, Evergreen Biofuels Inc., 129 Como Gardens, Hudson, QC J0P 1H0, Canada

President and CEO

Lily Ketabi, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

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Published

2014-04-28

How to Cite

Emami, S., Tabil, L. G., Adapa, P., George, E., Tilay, A., Dalai, A., … Ketabi, L. (2014). Effect of fuel additives on agricultural straw pellet quality. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 7(2), 92–100. Retrieved from https://ijabe.migration.pkpps03.publicknowledgeproject.org/index.php/ijabe/article/view/996

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2014): IJABE

Section

Renewable Energy and Material Systems

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