Abstract
Baled pruning residue could be a valid solution to reduce the storage surface area in thermal and electrical power station. This study aimed to analyze the storage performance of pruning residues baled by a round baler considering three orchard tree species (apple, peach, and kiwi) and three different techniques (uncovered, under roof, and wrapped). The storage parameters considered were: moisture content, dry mass, and wood energy content of the material. The initial moisture content of the tree orchard specie (apple, peach, and kiwi) was different: lower for peach (41%) and higher for kiwi (51%). At the end of the storage period, all bales (covered and uncovered) obtained similar values to that of the air (about 20%); wrapped bales have highlighted no moisture content variation. The tested tree species showed a similar initial high heating value (18.70 MJ·kg−1), but a different initial low heating value: lower for kiwi (7.96 MJ kg−1) and higher for peach (10.09 MJ·kg−1). No dry matter losses were observed in all test. Stored pruning residues in bales show good benefits in term of “biofuel” quality independent of the techniques adopted expect for the wrapping system that do not permit adequate drying of the biomass.
Highlights
At present, bioenergy seems to be a valid solution to reduce environmental pollution, and for this reason its production in European countries is increasing [1]
The energy produced by agricultural waste shows greater benefits in terms of environmental pollution compared to dedicated biomass plantations [8]
The initial moisture content of the different pruning residues tested result as similar to those found in other studies focused on the same tree orchard species [30]
Summary
Bioenergy seems to be a valid solution to reduce environmental pollution, and for this reason its production in European countries is increasing [1]. Bioenergy can be produced by different renewable energy sources, but in this contest biomass highlights better results for electrical and thermal energy production on small and medium scales [2]. In this regard, agricultural residues can play an important role in energy production in all European countries [3,4], especially in Italy [5,6]. The energy produced by agricultural waste shows greater benefits in terms of environmental pollution compared to dedicated biomass plantations (short rotation coppices) [8]. Among all agricultural waste, pruning residues show higher potential energy production because their flue gas emissions are similar to those observed with woodchip [9], especially in southern Europe where orchards and vines are mainly sited [10,11]
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