Abstract
Date palm fronds (DPF) have similar physical appearances to those of oil palm fronds and coconut palm fronds, which have been reported as having good potential as a source of energy through thermochemical conversion of biomass. However, nearly no report has been found pertaining to thermochemical properties of DPF. Hence, it has remained unclear whether DPF can become suitable feedstock for power generation. This study investigated the characteristics of DPF as a potential solid fuel for heat and power generation through various thermal conversion processes. DPF samples from selected sites in Sudan and Saudi Arabia were tested. The ultimate and proximate analyses and the calorific value of DPF were measured, and the results were compared with low to medium-rank coals and other common biomass materials. The calorific value range for DPF samples was found to be between 16.2 to 16.9 MJ/kg. The ultimate analysis of DPF samples revealed that more than 75% of their mass was composed of volatile materials, while the ash content in all samples was found to be less than 15%. The range of elementary carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen in DPF samples was found to be typical to that in biomass. The thermal decomposition trends the samples indicated the high reactivity of DPF with rising temperatures due to high holocellulose content. No distinctive differences in test results were observed between samples from Saudi Arabia and Northern Sudan. Overall, it was found that all DPF samples used in this study fulfilled the typical requirements for development and utilization as a solid fuel.
Highlights
Date is the fruit of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.)
Little work has been done in evaluating the feasibility of utilizing Date palm frond (DPF) as a solid fuel, and a study is required before one can embark into power generation using DPF
This paper examines the fuel properties of several samples of DPF collected from the North African and Middle Eastern regions for various thermal conversion process such as pyrolysis, torrefaction, gasification and as well as for general incineration purposes
Summary
Date is the fruit of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). As one of the oldest known fruit crops, date has been cultivated in North Africa and the Middle East for at least 5000 years, with the earliest record of date culture discovered from the Mesopotamian region of Iraq dating back to 3000 BC1. With reference to the online database maintained by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), there are currently 40 countries in the world that cultivate date palms in a large scale for date trade. Most of these countries are located in the Middle East, while others are scattered at other parts of the globe. Given that 1.14 million hectares of land were cultivated with date palm in 2014 and assuming an average density of 100-150 trees/ha, it is estimated that around 1.6 to 3.4 million tons of dry DPF are available each year[7]. Little work has been done in evaluating the feasibility of utilizing DPF as a solid fuel, and a study is required before one can embark into power generation using DPF
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