Tag Archives: pine sawdust

1861–1873 V. Chaloupková, T. Ivanova and V. Krepl
Particle size and shape characterization of feedstock material for biofuel production
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Particle size and shape characterization of feedstock material for biofuel production

V. Chaloupková, T. Ivanova* and V. Krepl

Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Department of Sustainable Technologies, Kamýcká 129, CZ165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
*Correspondence: ivanova@ftz.czu.cz

Abstract:

Particle size and shape are key factors influencing the properties of particulate and agglomerated materials, and having an impact on a quality as well as utilization of a final product. In case of plant biomass particle morphology is greatly irregular. Large errors at most determinations of biomass particle sizes are caused by simplification on a single parameter of size, assuming particle sphericity or circularity. Thus, the aim of a present research was to determine the particle size in a complex way. Pine sawdust as an experimental material and typical biofuel feedstock was ground by a hammer mill to a fraction size of 12 mm. The dimensional features of such ground sawdust particles were identified for all particles individually via photo-optical analysis, a method based on a digital image processing that is sensitive to irregular particles’ shapes. The particles were described mainly by variables of length, max width, equivalent diameter, max and min feret diameter, sphericity, roundness, circularity together with length/width ratio and aspect ratio. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics, i.e. by arithmetic means, medians, minimum and maximum values, variance and standard deviation. The obtained results may contribute to a better knowledge of material properties needed for designing an optimal technology for the production of quality biofuels.

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155–164 G. Karráa, T. Ivanova, M. Kolarikova, P. Hutla and V. Krepl
Using of high-speed mills for biomass disintegration
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Using of high-speed mills for biomass disintegration

G. Karráa¹, T. Ivanova¹*, M. Kolarikova¹, P. Hutla² and V. Krepl¹

¹Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Department of Sustainable Technologies, Kamýcká 129, CZ165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
²Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering, p.r.i., Drnovská 509, CZ161 01 Prague 6, Czech Republic
*Correspondence: ivanova@ftz.czu.cz

Abstract:

The need for mechanical disintegration of biomass is very current topic with regard to the requirements of an agrarian sector, beside the importance of a material’s moisture content reduction to be used in further applications. The drawbacks of commonly applied devices are the limited use of moist biomass and high energy consumption for disintegration. In collaboration with LAVARIS company, there were tested two high-speed mills LAV 400/1R with single rotor (used for a first milling) and LAV 300/2R with double rotors (used for a second milling), which were primarily designed for crushing of concrete, rubber and construction waste. The goal of the new technical solution was a disintegration of biomass on example of pine sawdust and miscanthus together with examination of simultaneous drying in order to achieve a desired fraction (particle size) and moisture content of biomass material. Experimental tests on high-speed mills have shown the following results: in case of pine sawdust about 98% of output particle size after passing through the first and second milling was smaller than 1.5 mm, and smaller than 1 mm for miscanthus (sieve analysis method was used for determination), i.e. significant reduction was achieved comparing to initial particle size. Moisture content of the materials after disintegration (first and second) decreased from 37.08% to 8.55% for pine sawdust and from 24.43% to 7.19% for miscanthus. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the mechanical disintegration of biomass by high-speed mills has a great potential to become an effective part of raw materials’ pre-treatment technology, not only in agriculture, but also in production of different types of biofuels.

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