Energy and Emissions Analysis of Hemp Hurd and Vine Pruning Derived Pellets Used as Fuel in a Commercial Stove for Residential Heating

Abstract

Among the renewable sources, woody biomass combustion is still the most diffused for domestic heating and, in the last decades, domestic pellet stoves have spread widely due to their simplicity and to the high energy density of the pelletized fuel. In several regions of North Italy, the legislator limited the type of pellet fuels that can be used. Only A1-plus pellets, which is obtained from clean wood processing, is allowed. However, the abundance of residual biomasses, from vine and hemp seasonal pruning, rises the possibility of their thermal valorization in domestic pellet stoves. In this paper, hemp hurd and vine pruning derived pellets were tested as fuel into a commercial pellet stove of 9 kW nominal thermal power and a comparison was made in terms of combustion efficiency and pollutant emissions. On the one hand, the tests shown similar results between A1+ and vine pellets in terms of efficiency while the emissions of CO increased by 10-times. On the other hand, hemp derived pellets generate thermal efficiency 3-times lower than pellet A1+ and slightly higher emissions.

Domestic Heating: Can Hemp-Hurd Derived Pellet Be an Alternative?

“…As reported in the paper from Pedrazzi et al [11], the palletization of hemp-hurd is challenging due to its structure composition and a certain amount of fir sawdust need to be added to obtain a stable and compact pellet.…”

Bio-pellets Manufacture from Palm Fruit Skin as Renewable Alternative Fuels in Updraft Type Gasification Furnaces

“…A unique approach (i.e., designed, fabricated, and evaluated) of top and bottom feeding design has enabled multifuel usage [19]. From the tests emerges the good capability of the stove to handle vine-prunings derived pellets with the suggestion to increase the cleaning rate of the fireplace to allow the 365 discharge of the higher ash production [20]. The main areas for investigation include (1) developing novel designs for smaller scale, distributed waste gasification, (2) reducing the cost of syngas cleanup, (3) improving methods to utilize syngas (e.g., in fuel cells or chemical synthesis), and (4) research into using the residual ash and slag in higher-value products such as building materials [21].…”