Characterization of fine and carbonaceous particles emissions from pelletized biomass-coal blends combustion: Implications on residential crop residue utilization in China

Abstract

h i g h l i g h t sEmissions of PM 2.5 , OC and EC from biomass pellets were lower than bulk materials. High thermal efficient stoves reduce emissions from pelletized biofuel. Pelletized biomass and coal blends could significantly decrease emissions. a r t i c l e i n f o Bulk biofuel, biomass pellets and pelletized biomass-coal blends were combusted in a typical rural conventional household stove and a high-efficiency stove. Reductions in PM 2.5 , organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) emissions were evaluated by comparing emission factors (EFs) among 19 combinations of biofuel/residential stove types measured using a dilution sampling system. In the lowefficiency stove, the average EFs of PM 2.5 , OC, and EC of biomass pellets were 2.64 ± 1.56, 0.42 ± 0.36, and 0.30 ± 0.11 g/kg, respectively, significantly lower than those burned in bulk form. EF PM2.5 and EF OC of pelletized biomass combustion in the high-efficiency stove were lower than those of the same biofuel burned in the low-efficiency stove. Furthermore, pelletized corn residue and coal blends burned in the high-efficiency stove could significantly decrease emissions. Compared with the bulk material burned in the low-efficiency stove, the reduction rates of PM 2.5 , OC and EC from pelletized blends in the highefficiency stove can reach 84%, 96% and 93%, respectively. If the annually produced corn residues in 2010 had been blended with 10% anthracite coal powder and burnt as pellets, it would have reduced about 82% of PM 2.5 , 90e96% of OC and 81e92% of EC emission in comparison with burning raw materials in conventional household stoves. Given the low cost, high health benefit and reduction effect on atmospheric pollutants, pelletized blends could be a promising alternative to fossil fuel resources or traditional bulk biofuel.

Primary and Secondary Emissions of Carboxylic Acids from Solid Fuel Combustion: Insight into the Source Markers and Secondary Formation Mechanism

“…Sun et al also reported that the briquetting of an anthracite chunk led to an increase in organic carbon EFs of over eight times that of the anthracite chunk . In addition, some studies have shown that biocoal briquettes (coal and biomass blend) can increase modified combustion efficiency (MCE) and decrease pollutant releases because of the synergy between coal and biomass. , Conversely, in this study, coal-biomass blend fuel emitted higher emissions than coal briquettes alone. EFs for carboxylic acids from bituminous–biomass blend fuel and anthracite–biomass blend fuel were 1.1 and 5.1 times higher than those from bituminous and anthracite briquette.…”

Biomass Torrefaction as a Key Driver for the Sustainable Development and Decarbonization of Energy Production

“…From this perspective-and because biomass torrefaction is a technology that enables the standardization of different types of biomass, thus allowing the use of a wider range of plant Sustainability 2020, 12, 922 5 of 9 species-biomass torrefaction could also play a key role in the eradication and control of invasive species, which may be classified as a resource, but also by the contribution to the clearing of the forest space, specifically in the elimination of residues resulting from forestry operations [54,55]. Thus, the production of energy products does not conflict with the market for raw materials for other industries, namely pulp and paper and wood pellets, and also contributes to reducing the risk of forest fires by decreasing the permanent fuel load [56,57].…”

Pollutant Emissions and Oxidative Potentials of Particles from the Indoor Burning of Biomass Pellets

“…Though from the experiences in developed countries, those compressed biomass fuels may have the potential to reduce emissions of PICs and consequently to improve air quality, which is important for the population heavily relying on traditional solid fuels from rural developing countries, − emission experiments on PIC emissions from biomass pellets in residential stoves in developing countries are very limited. It was reported that pelletized biofuels could significantly reduce PM 2.5 , OC, EC, CO, and PAH emissions, with reduction rates up to more than 90% compared with ordinary raw biomass. − However, a few results showed insignificant changes, or even higher, in emissions of hazardous pollutants like ultrafine particles, PAHs, and their derivatives. − For example, it wasreported that emission factors (EFs) of PAH from wood pellets were much lower and accounted for only 19% of the EFs from firewood, while another study revealed that PAHEFs for pine wood pellets averaged at 0.67 mg/MJ, which was higher than that for pine wood at 0.34 mg/MJ . Meanwhile, while changes in the mass of these compounds are discussed, there is growing concern about how particle toxicity changed when the physiochemical properties of the particles were distinct.…”