Interchangeability of various agricultural residues in small-scale boilers based on their inorganic composition: combustion similarities, environmental impact and ash properties

IF 7 2区生物学 Q1 AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING

Biomass & Bioenergy Pub Date : 2026-08-01 Epub Date: 2026-03-05 DOI:10.1016/j.biombioe.2026.109227

Tereza Zlevorová , Jakub Lachman , Antonín Kintl , Julie Sobotková , Martin Lisý , Marek Baláš

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Agricultural processing leaves behind many residues that could be further utilized, for example for heating. Among currently unused crop residues are those of Melilotus albus, Medicago sativa, Medicago lupulina, Sinapis alba, Hordeum vulgare and Trifolium incarnatum. Various samples of these plants were pelletized for the purposes of this study. All pellets were subsequently thoroughly analyzed and then combusted in a 25 kW boiler. Several similarities in their combustion behavior were observed: no slagging, high PM emissions (due to high K and Cl content), high NO_x emissions and the production of soft, powdery ash rich in nutrients. The ash elemental composition of the raw fuels plotted in an SCK ternary diagram indicated such behavior was likely to occur. This method could thus be utilized by boiler operators when looking for possible fuel replacement or supplementation. A widely used biofuel of similar inorganic composition, in this case sunflower husks, was used to successfully confirm this hypothesis. The use of fertilizers on fodder crops increases the environmental impact of their subsequent combustion, however, the high retention rates of essential plant nutrients in the produced ash make it a valuable commodity in circular economy.

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基于无机成分的各种农业残留物在小型锅炉中的互换性：燃烧相似性、环境影响和灰分特性

农业加工留下的许多残留物可以进一步利用，例如用于加热。目前未被利用的作物残茬有木犀草、紫花苜蓿、紫花苜蓿、白Sinapis、Hordeum vulgare和Trifolium incarnatum。为了本研究的目的，这些植物的各种样品被制成颗粒。随后对所有颗粒进行彻底分析，然后在25千瓦的锅炉中燃烧。他们的燃烧行为有几个相似之处：没有结渣，高PM排放（由于高K和Cl含量），高NOx排放和生产富含营养的软粉状灰。在SCK三元图中绘制的原料燃料的灰分元素组成表明这种行为很可能发生。因此，在寻找可能的燃料替换或补充时，锅炉操作员可以使用这种方法。一种广泛使用的类似无机成分的生物燃料，在这种情况下，向日葵壳，被用来成功地证实了这一假设。在饲料作物上使用肥料增加了其随后燃烧对环境的影响，然而，所生产的灰中基本植物营养物质的高保留率使其成为循环经济中的宝贵商品。

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来源期刊

Biomass & Bioenergy 工程技术-能源与燃料

CiteScore

11.50

自引率

3.30%

发文量

258

审稿时长

60 days

期刊介绍： Biomass & Bioenergy is an international journal publishing original research papers and short communications, review articles and case studies on biological resources, chemical and biological processes, and biomass products for new renewable sources of energy and materials. The scope of the journal extends to the environmental, management and economic aspects of biomass and bioenergy. Key areas covered by the journal: • Biomass: sources, energy crop production processes, genetic improvements, composition. Please note that research on these biomass subjects must be linked directly to bioenergy generation. • Biological Residues: residues/rests from agricultural production, forestry and plantations (palm, sugar etc), processing industries, and municipal sources (MSW). Papers on the use of biomass residues through innovative processes/technological novelty and/or consideration of feedstock/system sustainability (or unsustainability) are welcomed. However waste treatment processes and pollution control or mitigation which are only tangentially related to bioenergy are not in the scope of the journal, as they are more suited to publications in the environmental arena. Papers that describe conventional waste streams (ie well described in existing literature) that do not empirically address ''new'' added value from the process are not suitable for submission to the journal. • Bioenergy Processes: fermentations, thermochemical conversions, liquid and gaseous fuels, and petrochemical substitutes • Bioenergy Utilization: direct combustion, gasification, electricity production, chemical processes, and by-product remediation • Biomass and the Environment: carbon cycle, the net energy efficiency of bioenergy systems, assessment of sustainability, and biodiversity issues.