Thermophysical and Chemical Properties of Perennial Energy Crops Depending on Harvest Period

Abstract

A b s t r a c t. This paper presents analyses of the thermophysical and chemical properties of eleven perennial crop species harvested in one-year rotation cycles. The crops included four species grown for biomass in the form of straw, five species producing semi-wood biomass, and two species yielding wood biomass. The research comprised three consecutive crop harvests. In each harvesting season, biomass samples for analyses were taken on six dates at one-month intervals. Thermophysical and chemical properties of the biomass were significantly differentiated within the main experimental factors and their interactions. The biomass produced by Virginia mallow had the best quality parameters as solid fuel. In fact, it achieved the lowest water content and the highest lower heating value during all of the analyzed seasons and harvest dates. The biomass of the species yielding straw or semi-wood products attained better quality as solid fuel on later harvest dates. In turn, the quality of willow biomass remained practically unchanged between the harvest dates.K e y w o r d s: biomass, perennial crops, lower heating value, ash content, chemical composition

Biomass valorisation of Arundo donax L., Miscanthus × giganteus and Sida hermaphrodita for biofuel production

“…With regard to the heating values of Sida hermaphrodita, we saw an HHV of 18.1 MJ kg -1 , and a LHV of 16.8 MJ kg -1 . Stolarski et al (2014) investigated the higher heating value of Sida hermaphrodita and obtained a value of 18.9 MJ kg -1 , while Jurišić et al (2017) saw an HHV of 17.9 MJ kg -1 , which is in line with the results obtained in this investigation.…”

“…slightly above 1.20% -the value found in our investigation. Stolarski et al (2014) hold that the ash content of Sida hermaphrodita is 2.56%, while our investigation revealed a slightly higher value (2.84%). Vassilev et al (2010) state that the ash content in agricultural biomass goes up to 18%.…”

Virginia mallow (Sida hermaphrodita (L.) Rusby) as perennial multipurpose crop: biomass yields, energetic valorization, utilization potentials, and management perspectives

“…When used as solid fuel, parameters often determined are the higher heating value (HHV) and the lower heating value (LHV). In ten studies considered in this review, the HHV of Sida ranked between 16.5 and 19.5 MJ kg −1 dry matter (dm in the following) at an average of 18.4 ± 0.9 MJ kg −1 dm; the LHV between 14.0 and 17.2 MJ kg −1 dm at an average of 16.1 ± 1.2 MJ kg −1 dm (Borkowska et al ., , ; Wróblewska et al ., ; Smoliński et al ., ; Szyszlak‐Barglowicz et al ., ; Stolarski et al ., , ; Franzaring et al ., ; Tworkowski et al ., ; Siaudinis et al ., ; Jablonowski et al ., ). Whilst the HHV of Sida biomass appeared to be rather constant from November until April in one study, the LHV increased from 9.7 to 15.0 MJ kg −1 within this time span (Stolarski et al ., ), presumably owing to the changing water content of the biomass.…”

“…Chiefly, this interest is driven by the necessity to find commercially and ecologically attractive biomass sources for alternative pathways of energy production (e.g. Borkowska & Molas, 2013;Stolarski et al, 2014a;Michalska et al, 2015;Nabel et al, 2016;Wierzbowska et al, 2016;Jablonowski et al, 2017;Werle et al, 2017), but Sida offers also other interesting utilization perspectives for the European bio-economy. In the 1930s, the plant was first studied in Eurasia by botanists in the former Soviet Union to assess its utilization potentials as soil stabilizer, fodder crop, honey plant, and fiber plant for the pulp and paper industry (Spooner et al, 1985).…”

Selected parameters of maize straw briquettes combustion

“…Maize straw, or rather briquettes, made from this raw material used for testing, have typical properties corresponding to such form and type of biomass [10][11][12][13][14].…”