An Experimental and Numerical Study of the Burning of Calliandra Wood Pellets in a 200 kW Furnace

Abstract

Calliandra wood pellets are a key alternative for utilizing the plentiful Calliandra biomass as a sustainable, efficient, and low-emission heat energy source in a small-to-medium-sized furnace. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to examine the performance and emissions of a 200 kW furnace that utilizes Calliandra pellets. The popularity of the pellets produced from Calliandra wood has surged due to their exceptional qualities. These studies were conducted using a 200 kW pilot-scale furnace, and the findings were compared between those obtained from experiments and those from a numerical model created with ANSYS FLUENT. The effects of the air-to-biomass ratios ranging from 5.7 to 9.0 on the heat flow, combustion characteristics, and cold gas efficiency were investigated, and the best use of each ratio was determined. The temperatures measured at the tops and bottoms of the height of the furnaces exhibited a broad range from 430 °C to 650 °C and 440 °C to 700 °C, respectively. A greater air-to-fuel ratio increases combustion quality but has little influence on the furnace’s overall efficiency. In the meantime, it will be interesting to see how the performance of the Calliandra pellet combustion furnace could be improved in the future by fixing the airways and perforated plates as well as mixing air and fuel in the combustion chamber.