Title:
Explosibility of Biomass and Torrefied Biomass Powders: Determination of Minimum Explosible Concentrations
Author(s):
Huéscar, C., Sattar, H., Phylaktou, H.N., Andrew, G.E., Gibbs, B.M.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
Biomass powders in both raw and thermally treated (torrefied) form are used in 100% biomass power plants or in coal co-firing plants for power generation. They pose fire and explosion risks during storage, handling, processing and combustion, and therefore their explosibility characteristics need to be assessed for the design of safe systems and operations. Fibrous woody biomass powders cannot be characterised for explosibility through the standard methods, which has led to scarcity of reliable data on the explosibility of these materials. A new methodology is presented for the determination of the Minimum Explosible Concentrations (MEC) of biomass and torrefied biomass powders at different particle size ranges, using a modified Hartmann tube, which also allows for the determination of other reactivity parameters such as flame speeds and rates of pressure rise through which the most reactive mixture can be identified for further reactivity measurements in the ISO 1m3 vessel. MEC measurements showed that pulverised biomass, raw and torrefied were explosible at much lower concentrations, with equivalence ratios as low as 0.2 which was less than one third (1/3) of Kellingley Coal (also measured with the same method) and less than half (1/2) that of usual hydrocarbon fuels.
Keywords:
biomass, torrefaction, dust, explosion, Hartrmann tube
Topic:
R&D on Processes for Solid, Liquid and Gaseous Fuels from Biomass
Subtopic:
Production and supply of solid biofuels
Event:
20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
3CO.5.5
Pages:
1518 - 1523
ISBN:
978-88-89407-54-7
Paper DOI:
10.5071/20thEUBCE2012-3CO.5.5
Price:
FREE
