Abstract
Yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) was chosen as the woody biomass for the production of charcoal for use in a liquid fuel slurry. Charcoal produced from this biomass resulted in a highly porous structure similar to the parent material. Micronized particles were produced from this charcoal using a multi-step milling process and verified using a scanning electron microscope and laser diffraction system. Charcoal particles greater than 50 µm exhibited long needle shapes much like the parent biomass while particles less than 50 µm were produced with aspect ratios closer to unity. Laser diffraction measurements indicated D10, D50, and D90 values of 4.446 µm, 15.83 µm, and 39.69 µm, respectively. Moisture content, ash content, absolute density, and energy content values were also measured for the charcoal particles produced. Calculated volumetric energy density values for the charcoal particles exceeded the No. 2 diesel fuel that would be displaced in a liquid fuel slurry.
Highlights
Rudolph Diesel claimed in his original German patent the capability to operate his engine design on a variety of liquid, gaseous, and solid fuels [1]
Yellow poplar biomass was successfully prepared for carbonization and 14.8 kg was loaded into the furnace chamber
Using the lower range of the measured energy density density (HHV) for the yellow poplar charcoal particles and the process yield, only 45% of the energy contained in the parent biomass remains in the charcoal product
Summary
Rudolph Diesel claimed in his original German patent the capability to operate his engine design on a variety of liquid, gaseous, and solid fuels [1]. German researchers were interested in coal dust operating diesel engines as an alternative during the Second World War fuel shortages [2]. In the United States during the 1960s, researchers focused on carburation and injection issues plaguing the usage of coal dust as a safe and reliable fuel for diesel engines [4]. Many of these issues were resolved by using water as a carrier for the coal dust instead of air. The culmination of this research suggested that the optimum slurry composition (mass basis) was 48% percent coal particles with an average size of 3 μm, 2% additives, and the balance water with less than one percent ash [5]
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