Evaluation of sulphur content in different energy crops

Abstract

Abstract. Within the territory of Latvia, grass biomass currently is considered to be one of the alternative sources for pellet production in the Baltic region and Northern Europe. The examined energy crops are characteristic with the persistence to the local climatic conditions and high biomass yield from 1 ha. The field trial was carried out during 2011-2013 in the research and study farm "Pēterlauki" (56º53'N, 23º71'E) of the Latvia University of Agriculture, in sod calcareous soils pH KCl 6.7, containing available for plants P -52 mg·kg -1 , K -128 mg·kg -1 , organic matter content 21 to 25 g·kg -1 in the soil. The field test fertiliser norms applied were the following (kg ha -1 ): N 0 P 0 K 0 (control), P 2 O 5 -80, K 2 0 -120 (F -background), F + N 30 , F + N 60 , F+N 90 . Research objects: reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), festulolium (× Festulolium Asch. & Graebn.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and timothy (Phleum pratense L.) are perennials yielding for 8 -10 years, plant length up to 1.5 m. The sulphur content in the energy crops was 0.10 ± 0.01 %. The sulphur content in reed canary grass, festulolium, tall fescue and timothy was dependent (p < 0.005) on the growing year and the nitrogen fertilizer rate, and on the interaction between the growing year and nitrogen additional fertiliser contribution amount. That means that the air temperature and the amount of precipitation during the plant growth period are of great importance.Keywords: sulphur content, grass pellets sulphur content. IntroductionSulphur (S), just like chlorine, composes mainly gaseous SO2 and alkali and alkaline earth sulphates, which promotes corrosion of heating boiler elements [1] and contributes to emissions of sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere, the ratio of sulphur in herbaceous biomass usually is 0.1-0.2 %.However, the researchers I. Obernberger, T. Brunner, G. Bärnthaler (2006) showed that 40-70 % of sulphur found in the biomass fuel turned into ashes and the rest -into gas (aerosols and SO 2 ). The researchers also note that the concentration of S, which is higher than 0.1 % (dry matter), may cause corrosion problems, like too high levels of Cl. It has been found that the S ratio, which exceeds 0.2 % (dry matter), can lead to the emissions of SO x .The highest sulphur concentration is in straw. Cl and S in biomass are in the form of organic particles, but for the most part as the inorganic salts. Most of these substances are released during the combustion of carbon [2; 3]. The emissions of NO x and SO x , which are nitrogen or sulphur compounds, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions or acidification. There is almost no sulphur in wood (0.02-0.06 %). The sulphur content in peat is 0.1-0.4 %, S in Latvian peat is 0.3 %, if the ash content is 5 %, and S is 0.5 %, if the ash content in peat is 10 %. The sulphur content in biomass is insignificant -from 0.02 % to 2 % [4]. Increased amount of sulphur in fuel contributes to the emission of sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere.Sulphur oxides are a result of fu...

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“…It is desirable that the ash maintains its state up to at least 1100 °C. The values (temperatures) of the critical points of the melting temperature characteristics of ash depend on the chemical composition of the raw material, the fertilizers used in growing biomass, the hydrometeorological conditions during the plant vegetation and other factors (Poiša and Adamovičs 2011;Poiša et al 2013;Zajac et al 2018). This determines the amount of micro-and macroelements in biomass, which, remaining in the ash, participate in chemical reactions at high temperatures and influence the temperature characteristic of ash melting.…”

Evaluation of Chemical Content in Different Energy Crops

“…al., 2015), or also an essential influence of nitrogen fertilizer has been established (Adamovics et. al., 2017;Poisa et. al., 2017).…”