Physico-chemical characteristics of eight different biomass fuels and comparison of combustion and emission results in a small scale multi-fuel boiler

Forbes, E.G.A.; Easson, D. L.; Lyons, G.; McRoberts, W. Colin

doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2014.06.063

Cited by 62 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…In-vitro studies suggest that particles produced during incomplete combustion are more toxic than those produced under complete combustion conditions (Forbes et al, 2014; Uski et al, 2014). For this reason, the aim of the present study was to investigate the influence on various biological endpoints of the physical and chemical properties of smoke particles released during combustion of three different types of solid biomass fuels.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cytotoxic and genotoxic responses of human lung cells to combustion smoke particles of Miscanthus straw, softwood and beech wood chips

Arif

Maschowski

Garra

et al. 2017

Atmospheric Environment

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Inhalation of particulate matter (PM) from residential biomass combustion is epidemiologically associated with cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. This study investigates PM0.4–1 emissions from combustion of commercial Miscanthus straw (MS), softwood chips (SWC) and beech wood chips (BWC) in a domestic-scale boiler (40 kW). The PM0.4–1 emitted during combustion of the MS, SWC and BWC were characterized by ICP-MS/OES, XRD, SEM, TEM, and DLS. Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in human alveolar epithelial A549 and human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells were assessed by the WST-1 assay and the DNA-Alkaline Unwinding Assay (DAUA). PM0.4–1 uptake/translocation in cells was investigated with a new method developed using a confocal reflection microscope. SWC and BWC had a inherently higher residual water content than MS. The PM0.4–1 emitted during combustion of SWC and BWC exhibited higher levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), a greater variety of mineral species and a higher heavy metal content than PM0.4–1 from MS combustion. Exposure to PM0.4–1 from combustion of SWC and BWC induced cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in human alveolar and bronchial cells, whereby the strongest effect was observed for BWC and was comparable to that caused by diesel PM (SRM 2 975), In contrast, PM0.4–1 from MS combustion did not induce cellular responses in the studied lung cells. A high PAH content in PM emissions seems to be a reliable chemical marker of both combustion efficiency and particle toxicity. Residual biomass water content strongly affects particulate emissions and their toxic potential. Therefore, to minimize the harmful effects of fine PM on health, improvement of combustion efficiency (aiming to reduce the presence of incomplete combustion products bound to PM) and application of fly ash capture technology, as well as use of novel biomass fuels like Miscanthus straw is recommended.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cytotoxic and genotoxic responses of human lung cells to combustion smoke particles of Miscanthus straw, softwood and beech wood chips

Arif

Maschowski

Garra

et al. 2017

Atmospheric Environment

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“…Previous studies on the combustion of herbaceous plant material have focused on the physicochemical composition of the emissions and their effects on the combustion appliances (Demirbas 2004;Brunner et al 2013;Forbes et al 2014) and have not investigated their possible negative health effects. Thus, to the best of our knowledge, the results presented here are the first to consider the toxic effects of PM 1 from Miscanthus sp.…”

Section: Miscanthus Sp Pelletsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxicological characterization of particulate emissions from straw,Miscanthus, and poplar pellet combustion in residential boilers

Kasurinen

Jalava

Uski

et al. 2015

Aerosol Science and Technology

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Wood pellets have been used in domestic heating appliances for three decades. However, because the share of renewable energy for heating will likely rise over the next several years, alternative biomass fuels, such as short-rotation coppice or energy crops, will be utilized. We tested particulate emissions from the combustion of standard softwood pellets and three alternative pellets (poplar, Miscanthus sp., and wheat straw) for their ability to induce inflammatory, cytotoxic, and genotoxic responses in a mouse macrophage cell line. Our results showed clear differences in the chemical composition of the emissions, which was reflected in the toxicological effects. Standard softwood and straw pellet combustion resulted in the lowest PM 1 mass emissions. Miscanthus sp. and poplar combustion emissions were approximately three times higher. Emissions from the herbaceous biomass pellets contained higher amounts of chloride and organic carbon than the emissions from standard softwood pellet combustion. Additionally, the emissions of the poplar pellet combustion contained the highest concentration of metals. The emissions from the biomass alternatives caused significantly higher genotoxicity than the emissions from the standard softwood pellets. Moreover, straw pellet emissions caused higher inflammation than the other samples. Regarding cytotoxicity, the differences between the samples were smaller. Relative toxicity was generally highest for the poplar and Miscanthus sp. samples, as their emission factors were much higher. Thus, in addition to possible technical problems, alternative pellet materials may cause higher emissions and toxicity. The long-term use of alternative fuels in residential-scale appliances will require technological developments in both burners and filtration. EDITORTiina Reponen

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“…Numerous studies [11][12][13][14][15][16] have investigated their impact on the boiler performances and/or emission levels. An experimental approach to the chemical properties and the ash melting behavior in… Table 2 presents the elemental analysis and volatile matter content.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An experimental approach to the chemical properties and the ash melting behavior in agricultural biomass

Cioablă

Pop

Calinoiu

et al. 2015

J Therm Anal Calorim

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The present paper presents an experimental approach to the chemical and physical properties of the agricultural biomass from the point of view of the use of the biodegradable materials as fuel in incinerators at small and large scales. The wide variety of biomass sources implies a wide range of biomass fuel properties, both physically and chemically. Waste biomass could provide a significant part of the energy demand if appropriate conversion technologies are used. The types of agricultural biomass considered are corn, corn stalk, cereal mix, wheat, oatmeal, barley, corncob, rye, two-row barley, and corn and corncob mix. The study underlines the physical and chemical properties for analyzed materials. Using a statistical treatment to compare our set of data for different types of materials with the existing data from the literature, it can be noted that the net calorific values presented in this work are not statistically different from the mean value of the existing data in the literature. The net calorific values of the selected biomass ranged from 16,566 to 17,984 kJ kg -1 (dry basis). During the experiment, the flowing temperatures of the selected agricultural biomass were between 880 and 1480°C. The flowing temperature values for the presented data are different than the mean values of data from references. So, the combustion facility allows the use of fuel from many local sources, thus making the control and minimization of the major part of the operational cost possible. The ash melting process is strongly influenced by its chemical composition, and it takes place in a wide temperature range. Therefore, the present work describes the characteristic points of the ash melting behavior. A complete proximate and ultimate laboratory analysis was conducted in order to determine the physical and chemical material characteristics [C, H, N, volatile matter, moisture, ash content, and gross and net calorific values (GCV and NCV, respectively)], the major and minor elements (Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu and Pb) and the ash melting points (SST, DT, HT and FT) for the analyzed materials that are further used in the combustion processes.

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Physico-chemical characteristics of eight different biomass fuels and comparison of combustion and emission results in a small scale multi-fuel boiler

Cited by 62 publications

References 23 publications

Cytotoxic and genotoxic responses of human lung cells to combustion smoke particles of Miscanthus straw, softwood and beech wood chips

Cytotoxic and genotoxic responses of human lung cells to combustion smoke particles of Miscanthus straw, softwood and beech wood chips

Toxicological characterization of particulate emissions from straw,Miscanthus, and poplar pellet combustion in residential boilers

An experimental approach to the chemical properties and the ash melting behavior in agricultural biomass

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