Journal article
Physical characterization of commercial woodchips on the Italian energy market
Fuel, Vol.90(6), pp.2198-2202
2011
Abstract
The Authors set out to determine the particle-size distribution, the fiber and bark content, and the heating value of a wide sample of wood chips, collected from 60 commercial biomass terminals active in Northern Italy. This sample was meant to represent a cross-section of the Italian fuel chip market, and focused on four main feedstock types: sawmill residues, logging residues, small trees and short rotation coppice (SRC). Overall, the Authors collected 300 samples, each weighing approximately 1 kg. Particle-size distribution was determined with an automatic screening device on 210 samples, according to European Standard CEN/TS 15149-1. All samples were also manually separated into the following main components: fiber, bark, twigs, leaves, dust and other. The higher heating value (HHV) was determined on 56 one-gram subsamples using an adiabatic bomb calorimeter. Sawmill residues and small trees offered the best quality, with high fiber content (85-90%) and favorable particle-size distribution. On the contrary, both logging residues and SRC presented a high bark content (≥20%) and occasionally a mediocre particle-size distribution, being often too rich in fines (≥10%). These problems were especially serious with fuel derived from 1-year old SRC sprouts. There is a need for reducing the supply cost of small trees, and improving the quality of SRC biomass. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Details
- Title
- Physical characterization of commercial woodchips on the Italian energy market
- Authors
- Raffaele Spinelli (Author) - CNR IVALSA, ItalyC Nati (Author) - CNR IVALSA, ItalyL Sozzi (Author) - CNR IVALSA, ItalyNatascia Magagnotti (Author) - CNR IVALSA, ItalyGianni Picchi (Author) - CNR IVALSA, Italy
- Publication details
- Fuel, Vol.90(6), pp.2198-2202
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd.
- Date published
- 2011
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.fuel.2011.02.011
- ISSN
- 0016-2361
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Forest Industries Research Centre; Forest Research Institute
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99448962502621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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