Estimation of Power Generation Potential of Agricultural Based Biomass Residues and Coal–Biomass Mixed pellets

Abstract

Development and power generation by agriculture residues and wastes increasing day by day in the world. 32% of India’s primary energy requirement and 11% of Worlds primary energy requirement are fulfilled by Biomass. Agriculture Biomass is a renewable energy source that is obtained from agriculture waste, forest residue, and energy plants etc. India produces the huge amount of biomass (more than 500 million tons of agriculture and agro-industries biomass every year). Drastically increase in energy demand and atmospheric pollution due to mostly use of fossil fuel, Researchers looked for alternatives as renewable energy sources. Among all the renewable energy sources, biomass considered as an important source of power production due to its availability, lower ash content and low Cox,Sox and NOx emission to the atmosphere. In the present investigation power generation potential of five agriculture residues have been studied.

The present work reports the experimental results of proximate analysis, calorific value, and Ash fusion temperature of different types of agriculture residues. Based on experimental results, land requirement for energy plantation has been calculated. These species are Ocimum straw, Masculine straw, Lentil pulse straw, Black gram straw, Soybean straw. Among all the biomass species studied, the fixed carbon content (FC) in Masculine straw was found to be the highest (i.e. 23wt.%) while Lentil pulse straw has the lowest value (i.e. 8wt.%), the volatile matter content (VM) in Ocimum straw is the highest (i.e. 71wt.%) While Black gram straw has the lowest (i.e. 60wt.%) among all studied biomass samples. The ash content (A) in Black gram straw is the highest (i.e. 17wt. %) while Ocimum straw has the lowest ash content (i.e. 4wt. %). Among all five biomass Residues studied, Masculine straw is found to be high in moisture content (i.e. 18wt.%) while Ocimum straw is found to be the lowest (i.e. 5wt.%).

Bulk densities of all the biomass species-have been-determined. Lentil pulse straw and Ocimum straw have highest (i.e. 281 Kg/m3, 280 Kg/m3) respectively. Bulk density followed Masculine straw(i.e. 266 Kg/m3) and Black gram straw (264 Kg/m3) while soybean straw has lowest bulk density (i.e. 253 Kg/m3).

Ocimum straw, Soybean straw and lentil pulse straw to have higher calorific value e.g. 4054.3, 3775.5, 3508.6 kcal/kg respectively. These energy values of agricultural residues are very close to those of ‘F’ grade coals of India. Ash fusion temperatures of some of these agricultural residueswere found to be in the range IDT:712-952ºC; ST: 1010-1130ºC; HT: 1190-1290ºC; FT: 1240-1500ºC.

It is observed that the Ocimum straw requires the lowest 2517 ha and Black gram straw requires the highest 6590 ha land area among all collected biomass residues for the generation of approximately 20000 kWh of power per day or 73×105KWh per year continuously. Rest of three biomass residues Masculine straw, Lentil pulse straw, and soybean straw requires 5370 ha, 5427ha, 5845 ha of land for electricity production of 20000 KWh per day.

Approximately 6040, 6500, 7014, 7910 and 8590tonnes of Ocimum straw, Soybean straw, and Lentil pulse straw, Black gram straw and masculine straw biomass respectively required has to provide 73×103Kwh energy per year.Twenty coal: biomass mixed pellets sample showed energy value range from 4228 –3960 Kcal/kg, energy values of all pellets in the range of grade E coal of India.