Huéscar Medina, C, Phylaktou, HN, Andrews, GE et al. (1 more author) (2015) Explosion characteristics of pulverised torrefied and raw Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Southern pine (Pinus palustris) in comparison to bituminous coal. Biomass and Bioenergy, 79. pp. 116-127. ISSN 0961-9534
Abstract
Pre-treatments, such as torrefaction, can improve biomass fuels properties. Dedicated and coal co-firing plants, in which pulverised biomass and torrefied biomass can be used, are exposed to explosion hazards during handling, storage and transport from the mills to the boiler. Data on the explosion characteristics of biomass and torrefied biomass are scarce. This study presents explosion characteristics (maximum explosion pressure, deflagration index and minimum explosible concentration) of two torrefied wood samples and compares their reactivity to that of their corresponding untreated biomass materials and to a sample of Kellingley coal. Torrefied biomass samples showed higher reactivity, overpressures were around 9bar (0.9MPa, 1bar=10<sup>5</sup>Pa) for all biomass samples irrespective of size or sample composition. Derived laminar burning velocities ranged between 0.1-0.12ms<sup>-1</sup>, and were therefore similar to that of coal (0.12ms<sup>-1</sup>). The differences in explosion reactivity influence the design of explosion protection measures and can be used to introduce suitable modifications for safe operations with torrefied biomass.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2015, Elsevier. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Biomass and Bioenergy. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Biomass; Dust; Explosion; Picea abies; Pinus palustris; Torrefaction |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Chemical & Process Engineering (Leeds) > Energy Research Institute (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 15 Mar 2016 11:00 |
Last Modified: | 15 Nov 2016 23:37 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2015.04.001 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.biombioe.2015.04.001 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:95726 |