Abstract
Wood chips and logging residues currently comprise the largest share of biomass fuels used for heat generation in district heating plants and are provided by a variety of suppliers. Ash and moisture contents, as well as the calorific value, may vary considerably depending on the composition of the fuel, seasonality, location, and other factors. This paper provides the summarized results of the main characteristics of wood chip moisture and ash content and calorific value, experimentally tested for a significant range of samples. Chip samples were collected from two district heating companies and tested for a significant range of samples. Chip samples were collected from two district heating companies and tested for a 3-year period. The data on fuel chip prices were taken from the electronic wood chip trading platform. The tests were performed using standard express methods, where two sub-samples were taken and analyzed from every chip sample. It was determined that the moisture content of the wood chips varied from 35% to 45%, the calorific value from 18.4 to 19.6 MJ/kg, and the ash content from 0.5% to 4.5%. The calculated relative expanded uncertainty of the moisture content measurement was ±2.1%, of calorific value—±1.5%, and of ash—±1.0%. The repeatability of the results was estimated as the pooled standard deviation.
Highlights
The largest share of solid biomass used for heat generation in power plants consists of forest cutting and wood processing residues, which are usually prepared and supplied in the form of wood chips
Fuel suppliers and energy producers often need information on how and within what limits the main parameters of the chips change: humidity, calorific value, and ash content depending on the composition of the chips, the seasonality of preparation, and the geographical location
To determine the characteristics of wood chips supplied to district heating companies (DH), chip samples were selected from two district heating companies to define geographical differences
Summary
The largest share of solid biomass used for heat generation in power plants consists of forest cutting and wood processing residues, which are usually prepared and supplied in the form of wood chips. Fuel suppliers and energy producers often need information on how and within what limits the main parameters of the chips change: humidity, calorific value, and ash content depending on the composition of the chips, the seasonality of preparation, and the geographical location. This is necessary in order to make the proper decisions regarding the purchase, storage, and efficient combustion of fuel. Other important wood chip parameters, such as fraction size, the fraction of fines, and Cl and S quantities are often examined together to assess the suitability of the wood chips for the combustion installations
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call