This paper presents the research results of the effect of using calcium oxide and potassium permanganate on the combustion of pellets from wheat bran and beet pulp. The measurements were performed in the technical laboratory of the Centre of Energy Utilization of Non-Traditional Energy Sources in Ostrava. The research examined the effect of the use of chemical substances on the amount of air pollutants from biomass thermal conversion in a low-power boiler and the process temperature. First, we performed technical and elementary analyses of agricultural waste. The raw material was then comminuted, mixed with a selected additive, pelletized, and finally burned in a low-power boiler. The additive was added in three proportions: 1:20, 1:10, and 1:6.67 (i.e., 15%) relative to the fuel weight. The combustion process efficiency was measured using a flue gas analyzer and three thermocouples attached to the data recorder. From the measurement results, we were able to determine the percentage reduction of pollutant emissions into the atmosphere (CO, NOx, and SO2) due to the use of additives. Because emission standards are becoming increasingly stringent and fuel and energy prices are rising, the results presented in this article may be useful to agri-food processing plants that want to manage these materials thermally.
Granulated beet pulp and wheat straw, first separately and then mixed in a weight ratio of 50/50%, underwent a pyrolysis process in a laboratory batch generator with process temperatures of 400 and 500 °C. The feedstock’s chemical composition and the pyrolysis products’ chemical composition (biochar and pyrolysis gas) were analysed. A synergistic effect was observed in the co-pyrolysis of the combined feedstock, which occurred as an increase the content of the arising gas in relation to the total weight of the products. and as a reduction of bio-oil content. The maximum gas proportion was 21.8% at 500 °C and the minimum between 12.6% and 18.4% for the pyrolysis of individual substrates at 400 °C. The proportions of the gases, including CO, CO2, CH4, H2, and O2, present in the resulting synthesis gases were also analysed. The usage of a higher pyrolysis final temperature strongly affected the increase of the CH4 and H2 concentration and the decrease of CO2 and CO concentration in the pyrolysis gas. The highest percentage of hydrogen in the synthesis gas, around 33%vol, occurred at 500 °C during co-pyrolysis.
Dangerous gases arising from combustion processes must be removed from the air simply and cheaply, e.g., by adsorption. This work is focused on competitive adsorption experiments and force field-based molecular modeling of the interactions at the molecular level. Emission gas, containing CO, NO, SO2, and CO2, was adsorbed on activated carbon, clay mineral, silicon dioxide, cellulose, or polypropylene at two different temperatures. At 20 °C, activated carbon had the highest NO and SO2 adsorption capacity (120.83 and 3549.61 μg/g, respectively). At 110 °C, the highest NO and SO2 adsorption capacity (6.20 and 1182.46 μg/g, respectively) was observed for clay. CO was adsorbed very weakly, CO2 not at all. SO2 was adsorbed better than NO, which correlated with modeling results showing positive influence of carboxyl and hydroxyl functional groups on the adsorption. In addition to the wide range of adsorbents, the main novelty of this study is the modeling strategy enabling the simulation of surfaces with pores of controllable sizes and shapes, and the agreement of the results achieved by this strategy with the results obtained by more computationally demanding methods. Moreover, the agreement with experimental data shows the modeling strategy to be a valuable tool for further adsorption studies.
The study aimed to assess the quality of spraying of ornamental conifer using a multi-rotor drone. We examined how the speed of drone movement and the propellers’ spin speed can affect the deposition quality of the sprayed liquid in the crown of blue spruce (Picea pungens Engelm.). Due to the avoidance in the future of droplet drift by air movements, an air injector atomiser for liquid spraying was used, and a low altitude of 0.6 m of the drone flying above the tree was used in the study. The drone moved at two speeds: 0.57 m·s–1 and 0.94 m·s–1. The propellers’ spin speeds were adjusted based on the drone’s weight with the spray liquid tank filled and empty. The propellers’ zero-spin rate was also included to compare the drone to a field sprayer. The tests were conducted in a laboratory setting. Volume and uniformity of liquid volume settled on the levels of samplers positioned on a tripod within the tree canopy were assessed. The samplers were placed in two zones of the tree: near the tree trunk and at a distance of 0.21 m from the trunk. Airstream speed generated by drone propellers was also evaluated inside the tree. The findings indicated that the rotations of propellers and air speed significantly influenced the quality of liquid deposition on samplers located away from the trunk. The results also showed that using a drone instead of a field sprayer could benefit the quality of the spray application. The weight of the multi-rotor drone, determined by the spray liquid tank’s filling level, can significantly impact the quality of spray deposition in the tree. Based on the investigations, it can be recommended that low-altitude spraying drones be adopted for studies and future strategies in precision agriculture using autonomous inspection-spraying drones.
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