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- ItemInfluence of Tree Species, Harvesting Method and Storage on Energy Demand and Wood Chip Quality When Chipping Poplar, Willow and Black Locust(Basel : MDPI AG, 2020) Pecenka, Ralf; Lenz, Hannes; Jekayinfa, Simeon Olatayo; Hoffmann, ThomasThe cultivation of fast-growing wood (e.g., poplar, willow or black locust) in short rotation coppices and agroforestry systems presents an opportunity for producing biomass sustainably in the agricultural sector. Cost-efficient agricultural wood production requires the availability of high-performance machinery and methods with which high-quality wood chips can be produced at low cost. It is known from harvesting short rotation coppices in practice that both the wood chip quality and the performance of the harvesting machinery depend on a variety of factors (e.g., harvesting method, weather conditions, tree species). That is why this study examines in detail the influence of the tree species (different varieties of poplar, willow, black locust) and the wood condition (fresh, stored or dried, frozen) on the specific energy demand for comminution in a stationary drum chipper and on the particle size distribution of the wood chips produced. For all the tree species examined, the chipping of dried as well as frozen stems was connected with a significant increase in the specific energy demand for comminution. An increase of 31% has been measured if poplar stems are chipped in frozen conditions (max. 6.31 kWh t−1). Drying led to an increase of 59% for dried willow stems (max. 6.67 kWh t−1). Drying and frost had also an influence on the size and quality of the wood chips, but no globally significant connection could be established for the examined tree varieties.
- ItemExtrusion of Different Plants into Fibre for Peat Replacement in Growing Media: Adjustment of Parameters to Achieve Satisfactory Physical Fibre-Properties(Basel : MDPI AG, 2021) Dittrich, Christian; Pecenka, Ralf; Loes, Anne-Kristin; Caceres, Rafaela; Conroy, Judith; Rayns, Francis; Schmutz, Ulrich; Kir, Alev; Kruggel-Emden, HaraldPeat is a highly contentious input in agriculture. Replacing or reducing peat by substitution with lignocellulosic biomass processed into fibre by twin-screw-extrusion could contribute to more sustainable agriculture with regard to horticultural production. Therefore, plant wastes including pruning from Olea europaea L. and Vitis spp. L., residues from perennial herbs like Salvia spp. L., Populus spp. L. and forest biomass were processed to fibre for peat replacement with a biomass extruder. The water-holding-capacity (WHC), particle-size-distribution and other physical fibre characteristics were determined and compared to peat. The specific energy demand during extrusion was measured for aperture settings from 6–40 mm. No fibre reached the 82% WHC of peat. At the setting of 20 mm of all materials investigated, Salvia performed best with a WHC of 53% and moderate specific energy demand (167 kWh tDM−1) followed by Olea europaea with a WHC of 43% and a low energy demand (93 kWh tDM−1). For Populus, opening the aperture from 20–40 mm decreased energy demand by 41% and WHC by 27%. The drying of biomass for storage and remoistening during extrusion increased the specific energy demand. Despite a lower WHC than peat, all investigated materials are suitable to replace peat in growing media regarding their physical properties.
- ItemA Review of Biomass Briquette Binders and Quality Parameters(Basel : MDPI, 2022) Obi, Okey Francis; Pecenka, Ralf; Clifford, Michael J.The adverse effect of the use of fossil fuels on the environment and public health has given rise to a sustained renewable energy research and development. An important component of global renewable energy mix is the use of loose biomass, including agricultural and forestry residues, to produce solid fuels in the form of briquettes. Briquettes play a significant role in bioenergy mix in developing and developed countries. The production of biomass briquettes often entails the collection, transportation, storage, processing, and compaction of loose biomass that meet specific quality parameters. The densification process often involves the addition of binders to improve the cohesive strength of the briquette material. This paper surveys recent literature from 2012 to 2021 to establish the current state of research on the use of binders in briquette production; and reviews current parameters used in assessing the quality of biomass briquettes with focus on mechanical and handling properties. While a number of quality parameters were identified, their assessment methodologies varied widely in the literature, thus necessitating standardization for comparability purposes. The review also includes factors affecting the wide production and adoption of biomass briquettes in most developing economies and proposes ways of overcoming the bottlenecks.
- ItemInvestigation of the Effects of Torrefaction Temperature and Residence Time on the Fuel Quality of Corncobs in a Fixed-Bed Reactor(Basel : MDPI, 2022) Orisaleye, Joseph I.; Jekayinfa, Simeon O.; Pecenka, Ralf; Ogundare, Adebayo A.; Akinseloyin, Michael O.; Fadipe, Opeyemi L.Biomass from agriculture is a promising alternative fuel due to its carbon-neutral feature. However, raw biomass does not have properties required for its direct utilization for energy generation. Torrefaction is considered as a pretreatment method to improve the properties of biomass for energy applications. This study was aimed at investigating the effects of torrefaction temperature and residence time on some physical and chemical properties of torrefied corncobs. Therefore, a fixed-bed torrefaction reactor was developed and used in the torrefaction of corncobs. The torrefaction process parameters investigated were the torrefaction temperature (200, 240, and 280 °C) and the residence time (30, 60, and 90 min). The effects of these parameters on the mass loss, grindability, chemical composition, and calorific value of biomass were investigated. It was shown that the mass loss increased with increasing torrefaction temperature and residence time. The grinding throughput of the biomass was improved by increasing both the torrefaction temperature and the residence time. Torrefaction at higher temperatures and longer residence times had greater effects on the reduction in particle size of the milled corncobs. The calorific value was highest at a torrefaction temperature of 280 °C and a residence time of 90 min. The energy yield for all treatments ranged between 92.8 and 99.2%. The results obtained in this study could be useful in the operation and design of torrefaction reactors. They also provided insight into parameters to be investigated for optimization of the torrefaction reactor.
- ItemOptions for optimizing the drying process and reducing dry matter losses in whole-tree storage of poplar from short-rotation coppices in Germany(Basel : MDPI, 2020) Pecenka, Ralf; Lenz, Hannes; Hering, ThomasFor sustainable production of wood in short-rotation coppices and agroforestry systems, it is necessary to optimize the storage processes to achieve low dry matter losses together with low-cost drying. The harvesting of the trees can be carried out very efficiently with modified forage harvesters or tractor-powered mower-chippers. The wood chips produced can be dried naturally at low cost in open-air piles. However, this type of storage is connected with high dry matter losses of up to about one fourth in the course of seven-month storage. Although harvesting whole trees is connected with significantly higher costs, lower dry matter losses are to be expected from storing the trees in piles. Consequently, in this study, the storage and drying behavior of poplar under different German weather conditions and depending on the structure of the storage piles has been examined in detail. After a seven-months storage period, the trees still displayed moisture contents of 41–44% following an initial moisture content of 56% but achieved very low dry matter losses of only 4–7%. Moisture contents of 35–39% could only be achieved in October after a further two-months drying period under favorable weather conditions. All storage piles were built up on approximately 30 cm high support timbers for better ventilation. Additionally, covering the ground with a fleece did not have any influence on the drying behavior, nor did different pile heights. Smaller tree trunk diameters are not only connected with a higher share of bark or ash, but also thinner trunks tend to become damp again more quickly after rainfall. That is why whole-tree storage is suitable above all for medium or longer rotation periods with which, under favorable conditions, the higher harvesting costs can be compensated by a higher wood chip quality and lower storage losses.
- ItemThe potential of calcium hydroxide to reduce storage losses: A four months monitoring study of spruce wood chip piles at industrial scale(New York, NY [u.a.] : Elsevier, 2021) Dumfort, Sabrina; Pecenka, Ralf; Ascher-Jenull, Judith; Peintner, Ursula; Insam, Heribert; Lenz, HannesThe objective of this study was to investigate the effect of an alkaline additive on the storage of wood chips from Norway spruce forest residues. Piles of untreated and calcium hydroxide treated wood chips (250 m3) were set up and investigated for four months. It was demonstrated that adding Ca(OH)2 to moist wood chips decreased the dry matter loss by 6%. This was attributed to the increase of the pH to a level of 8, rendering the habitat less suitable for fungal colonisation. The results suggest the set-up storage strategy as a potential alternative method for preserving wood chips when long term storage is required.
- ItemInfluence of Processing Parameters on Fibre Properties during Twin-Screw Extrusion of Poplar Wood Chips(Basel : MDPI, 2022) Dittrich, Christian; Pecenka, Ralf; Selge, Benjamin; Ammon, Christian; Kruggel-Emden, HaraldFor sustainable agriculture, the contentious input of peat in growing media needs to be replaced by a substitute with the best possible water-holding capacity (WHC). Wood from fast growing poplar trees, cultivated in short rotation coppices (SRC), is a suitable alternative if it is processed correctly in a twin-screw extruder. The processing parameters, such as the aperture setting of the extruder, moisture content, and specific energy demand (SED), during twin-screw extrusion, as well as their influence on fibre properties such as WHC and particle size distribution, are investigated. SRC-poplar wood chips from clone Max3 are the raw material used for this research. As a result, the best volume-based WHC (75%) at −1 kPa suction tension was achieved for dry extruded wood chip fibre at an aperture setting of 15 mm and an SED of 340 kWh*t−1. The smallest SED of 140 kWh*t−1 was measured at apertures of 35 mm and 40 mm, which resulted in a volume-based WHC of approximately 30% and a dry matter mass flow during processing of 0.289 t*h−1 (40 mm). The particle size distribution of semi-dry wood chips has the highest fine fraction as well as the smallest coarse fraction. Conclusively, poplar wood can be processed fresh and dry into fibre at an acceptable SED, which results in an acceptable WHC.
- ItemMolecular monitoring of the poplar wood chip microbiome as a function of storage strategy(Barking : Elsevier, 2021) Zöhrer, Julia; Probst, Maraike; Dumfort, Sabrina; Lenz, Hannes; Pecenka, Ralf; Insam, Heribert; Ascher-Jenull, JudithOne of the most challenging aspects of using wood chips as renewable energy source is the loss of biomass related to storage. Therefore, we installed three outdoor industrial-scale piles (250 m³) of poplar wood chips and monitored the bacterial and fungal communities by next-generation sequencing over a storage period of 120 d. Two of the three piles were supplemented with calcium dihydroxide (Ca(OH)2) (1.5%, 3% w/w) in order to test its potential as alkaline stabilization agent to preserve woody biomass during storage. Shifts in the microbial community composition occurred almost entirely in the beginning of the storage experiment, which we attribute to the temperature rise of up to 60 °C within the first week of storage. Later, however, we found little changes. Independent of Ca(OH)2 concentration, a consortium of lignocellulolytic and thermotolerant microorganisms dominated the stored wood chip microbiota emphasizing their role as key players during wood decomposition. Although the addition of Ca(OH)2 altered the physicochemical properties of wood chips, it did not prevent loss of biomass. Especially the pH was increased in Ca(OH)2 treated piles. However, only minor differences in the microbial communities’ composition were detected following Ca(OH)2 addition, highlighting the microbes tolerance towards and adaptation to changing environmental conditions.
- ItemEstablishment of a Laboratory Scale Set-Up with Controlled Temperature and High Humidity to Investigate Dry Matter Losses of Wood Chips from Poplar during Storage(Basel : MDPI, 2022) Hernandez-Estrada, Albert; Pecenka, Ralf; Dumfort, Sabrina; Ascher-Jenull, Judith; Lenz, Hannes; Idler, Christine; Hoffmann, ThomasThe aim of this work was to improve the understanding of dry matter losses (DML) that occur in wood chips during the initial phase of storage in outdoor piles. For this purpose, a laboratory scale storage chamber was developed and investigated regarding its ability to recreate the conditions that chips undergo during the initial phase of outdoor storage. Three trials with poplar Max-4 (Populus maximowiczii Henry Populus nigra L.) chips were performed for 6–10 weeks in the storage chamber under controlled temperature and assisted humidity. Two different setups were investigated to maintain a high relative humidity (RH) inside the storage chamber; one using water containers, and one assisted with a humidifier. Moisture content (MC) and DML of the chips were measured at different storage times to evaluate their storage behaviour in the chamber. Additionally, microbiological analyses of the culturable fraction of saproxylic microbiota were performed, with a focus on mesophilic fungi, but discriminating also xerophilic fungi, and mesophilic bacteria, with focus on actinobacteria, in two trials, to gain a view on the poplar wood chip-inhabiting microorganisms as a function of storage conditions (moisture, temperature) and time. Results show that DML up to 8.8–13.7% occurred in the chips within 6–10 storage weeks. The maximum DML were reached in the trial using the humidifier, which seemed a suitable technique to keep a high RH in the testing chamber, and thus, to analyse the wood chips in conditions comparable to those in outdoor piles during the initial storage phase.
- ItemEffects of Feeding Speed and Temperature on Properties of Briquettes from Poplar Wood Using a Hydraulic Briquetting Press(Basel : MDPI, 2023) Orisaleye, Joseph I.; Jekayinfa, Simeon O.; Dittrich, Christian; Obi, Okey F.; Pecenka, RalfBiomass has a high potential to contribute towards resolving the energy deficit. Processing biomass into solid fuels enhances its use in various bioenergy conversion technologies. The quality of densified biomass depends on several variables. The investigation of the effect of densification parameters on briquette quality is necessary for process optimization. This study investigates the influence of die temperature (100, 120, 140 °C) and feeding speed (2.4, 2.9, 3.3 mm s−1) on the quality of briquettes produced from poplar using a hydraulic biomass briquetting machine. The density of the briquettes ranged between 746.7 and 916.8 kg m−3, the mechanical durability ranged from 97.4 to 98.4%, and the water resistance index was between 91.6 and 96.1%. The results show that the temperature was statistically significant (p < 0.05) on the density, mechanical durability and water resistance of biomass briquettes. The feeding speed was statistically significant (p < 0.05) on the density and water resistance. The interaction of temperature and feeding speed was statistically significant (p < 0.05) on all properties considered. The results obtained in this study are useful for optimizing the quality of briquettes produced using the hydraulic piston press.