The energy potential evaluation of biomass fuel from weed pellets

Abstract

The giant sensitive plant had the most appropriated qualifications for pellet production, as it contained a low content of moisture (3.07%) and ash (2.68%), and a high percentage of fixed carbon (14.13%) and volatile matter (80.12%) with the highest lower heating value of 18,334.08 J/g. It was found that a higher mixing ratio of water for pelletization led to increasing moisture and ash content but resulted in lower volatile matter and fixed carbon. The best mixing ratio for was 8% of water by weight, at which the evaluated properties of the giant sensitive plant pellets: LHV, FC, VM and ash content, were 18,747.46 J/g, 10.92%, 78.77% and 2.24%, respectively. The evaluation of the physical properties of the pellets revealed that a higher amount of water resulted in a larger diameter, greater length and higher fines content. Comparison of pellets from this work with the standard classes of biomass pellets found that the giant sensitive plant pellets could be classified in class I3. It was clearly seen that the weed can be utilized as a useful biomass fuel and formed in a pellet shape for combustion in industrial sectors.