ADVANCED CHARACTERIZATION OF NON-CONVENTIONAL BIOMASS (FROM EMERGING MARKETS) IN A FIXED-BED REACTOR

This work presents the first results of non-conventional biomass characterization in a fixed bed reactor. The lab-scale device consists in a cylindrical tube of 1700 mm height and 200 mm diameter, made of stainless steel and insulated with ceramic and wool fibers. Measurements of temperature along the bed height, as well as reactor mass loss and gaseous emissions at the outlet have been performed and have allowed determining the velocity of the ignition front propagation, the mass ignition rate and the temperature of the reaction front. Experimental tests have been carried out with rice husks and compared two standardized woody fuels, one pelletized and one chipped. The results show that the behavior of the non-conventional fuel differ substantially from the woody biomass. In particular, the physical properties of the rice husk seem to mostly influence its conversion behavior, i.e., a very high ignition front propagation velocity and high mass ignition rate. In the next future, tests with additional non-conventional biomasses will be carried out and the results will be used to derive data for designing and optimizing the operation of a large-scale grate-fired unit, e.g., optimum primary air flow under each grate section, adjusted grate velocity, etc.