Title:
Storage of Two Size Class of Poplar Chips in Northern Italy
Author(s):
Pari, L., Gallucci, F., Giannini, E.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
Fuel storage is one of the key-point in the biomass energy chain. For instance, it permits to guarantee plants’ supply and get a lower moisture content of the material. Unfortunately, during storage dry matter losses and related energy content losses, occurs. Chips’ size can affect the amount of these losses: more the chips are small, more is the exposed surface, and more an higher dry matter losses can be expected. In Italy not many research experiences on poplar wood chips’ storage were carried out. The main target of this research is to evaluate if, in northern Italy conditions and with the same species (poplar), there is correlation between chip size and dry matter losses during storage in open piles.. The most common SRF poplar harvester, the Calla Jaguar, has a chipping apparatus (rotor) projected to maize chipping for silage, thus the necessity to develop a new chipping apparatus for poplar in order to produce bigger size chips raised. CRA-ING projected and built a new rotor, and the machine during 08/09 winter harvested about 350 ha. Then, two uncovered piles of wood chips obtained by Claas Jaguar fitted with commercial and CRA ING rotor were built. The internal temperature were monitored continuously, using Pt100 devices at different positions, while moisture content behavior and dry matter losses was evaluated after six months of storage and compared to the initial values. A meteo device recorded air temperature and moisture, wind speed and solar radiation. As previously thought, results show a better drying process and less dry matter losses for the fuel produced by the CRA-ING rotor, confirming that chips’ size is really important to save dry matter and stored energy, even if the driest product is tha t one obtained by commercial rotor. Considerations about energy content, energy lost for drying (the “cost” of storage) and economical aspects related to moisture content Vs. energy losses are reported too.
Keywords:
biomass, energy, moisture, poplar, short rotation forestry (SRF), storage
Topic:
Biomass resources
Subtopic:
Production, pretreatment, supply and logistics of feedstock
Event:
18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
VP1.2.24
Pages:
397 - 401
ISBN-13:
978-88-89407-56-1
ISBN-10:
88-89407-56-5
Paper DOI:
10.5071/18thEUBCE2010-VP1.2.24
Price:
FREE
