Moisture Content Measurements on Sawdust With Radio Frequency Spectroscopy

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Nystro¨m ◽  
Eva Thorin ◽  
Stefan O. Backa ◽  
Erik Dahlquist
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Radio Frequency ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Biomass Fuel ◽  
Average Moisture Content ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Measure Moisture Content ◽  
Radio Frequency Spectroscopy

The aim of the research described in this paper is to measure moisture content in biomass fuel with radio frequency spectroscopy. The advantage with this method is that radio waves penetrate large samples, and thereby gives an average moisture content representing the whole sample. The method is fast and is a small scale version of what can be applied in the future on-line for biomass fuel arriving in containers to the power plants. The moisture content is determined with a sensor that measure attenuation and phase shift for a frequency spectrum from 310 MHz to 900 MHz. The measurements are performed on sawdust with moisture contents normally occurring in power plants (from 34 to 65%). Multivariate data analysis is used for evaluation of the dielectric spectra from samples with known moisture content. Our results show that it is possible to measure moisture content in sawdust using radio frequency spectroscopy. A partial least square model is built on samples from sawdust. The moisture content varied between 34 and 60%. A standard error for the cross validation of 0.99% and a correlation factor of 0.99 was received. It is known that dielectric properties are also influenced by bulk density and temperature. Tests show that the influence of the bulk density is of greater importance. Further calibration measurements have to be performed to be able to make reliable measurements on the different bio fuels used at power plants.

scholarly journals Development of a Millet Destoner for Small Scale Farmers

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aminu Saleh
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Physical Properties ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Terminal Velocity ◽  
Commercial Production ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
True Density ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Processing Properties

Post-harvest processes of millet rely on labour-intensive manual operations in Nigeria while its produce is associated with contaminants. A manually-operated destoner was developed to increase grain value for commercial production and reduce drudgery. To construct the destoner sieves, physical properties of one thousand randomly selected grains were determined digital Vernier callipers. Millet grains to be destoned was fed through the upper portion of the destoner being operated through the crank handle while the pure grains were collected at the discharge outlet. Results obtained shows the geometric diameter of the grains increase progressively from 3.51-4.22mm as moisture content increases. A screen aperture of 3.5mm was constructed. Grains’ surface area, volume and sphericity increased from 22.67-34.82mm², 8.19-13.98mm³ and 0.691-0.776g respectively. Mass, true density and terminal velocity of 1000 seed increased from 13.56-43.84g, 1548.91-1689.87kg/m³ and 2.69-4.58m/s respectively. The bulk density of millet also increased as moisture content increases but decreased beyond 12.5% moisture level indicating that millet floats on  water and was transpoted with the aid of an auger. About 50kg of millet was poured into the destoner to occupy its  ⅓ capacity while the remaining ⅔ was filled with water. Destoner output was  at 95% efficiency.Key words: Destoner, Millet, Processing, Properties, Contaminants

scholarly journals The impacts of ground-based logging equipment on forest soil

2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 28-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Solgi ◽  
A. Najafi
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Total Porosity ◽  
Average Moisture Content ◽  
Heavy Equipment ◽  
Operational Practices ◽  
Site Disturbance ◽  
Disturbed Soils

Soil properties can be affected by heavy equipment used for skidding but these impacts vary greatly with site conditions and operational practices. We assessed the effects of ground-based skidding on site disturbance and soil physical properties. We also tested the effects of skid trail slope and traffic frequency on soil compaction, total porosity, and moisture content. On average, about 30% of all harvested area was disturbed to varying levels. Intact forest floor (undisturbed) and light slash were the dominant surface conditions, covering an average of 68.9% of harvested area. Deep disturbed soils accounted for only just over 1.1% of observations. Results showed that dry bulk density, total porosity and moisture content were affected considerably on skid trails by traffic frequency and skid trail slope. Measurements of soil properties in the surface layer (0–10 cm) showed that bulk density is 57% higher and total porosity is 31% lower on the skid trail compared to the undisturbed area. Average moisture content has been measured as 35% on the skid trail versus 47% in the undisturbed area.  

scholarly journals The Role of Fuel Moisture in Gas Turbine Processes

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markku O. Raiko ◽  
Risto A. Raiko
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Analysis ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Biomass Combustion ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fuel Moisture ◽  
High Moisture Content ◽  
High Moisture ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Steam Drying

Imatran Voima (TVO) is the biggest energy producer in Finland. IVO builds, owns and operates several biomass combustion power plants and carries out active R&D work on further development of small-scale biomass and peat-fired power plants. Both conventional power plants based on fluidized bed boilers and future power plants based on gasification are also developed by IVO. Typically, biomass fuels have high moisture content. High moisture content of fuel has, however, a negative effect on power generation cycles because of higher combustion losses. IVO has researched and developed a steam drying system for small-scale gasification power plants for the sole domestic fuels peat and biomass. This is described and the experience gained in testing it is briefly reviewed. The main focus of this paper is the thermal analysis of pressurized steam drying for biomass gasification power plants. Special emphasis is given to the thermal analysis of fuel moisture in alternative power plant processes. Fuel moisture removal is analyzed as a separate process.

scholarly journals Wood Chip Drying through the Using of a Mobile Rotary Dryer

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Del Giudice ◽  
Andrea Acampora ◽  
Enrico Santangelo ◽  
Luigi Pari ◽  
Simone Bergonzoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Black Locust ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Initial Moisture Content ◽  
Wood Chip ◽  
Wood Chips ◽  
Cocurrent Flow ◽  
Drying Process ◽  
Rotary Dryer

Drying is a critical point for the exploitation of biomass for energy production. High moisture content negatively affects the efficiency of power generation in combustion and gasification systems. Different types of dryers are available however; it is known that rotary dryers have low cost of maintenance and consume 15% and 30% less in terms of specific energy. The study analyzed the drying process of woody residues using a new prototype of mobile rotary dryer cocurrent flow. Woodchip of poplar (Populus spp.), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), and grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) pruning were dried in a rotary drier. The drying cycle lasted 8 h for poplar, 6 h for black locust, and 6 h for pruning of grapevine. The initial biomass had a moisture content of around 50% for the poplar and around 30% for grapevine and black locust. The study showed that some characteristics of the biomass (e.g., initial moisture content, particle size distribution, bulk density) influence the technical parameters (i.e., airflow temperature, rate, and speed) of the drying process and, hence, the energy demand. At the end of the drying process, 17% of water was removed for poplar wood chips and 31% for grapevine and black locust wood chips. To achieve this, result the three-biomass required 1.61 (poplar), 0.86 (grapevine), and 1.12 MJ kgdry solids−1 (black locust), with an efficiency of thermal drying (η) respectively of 37%, 12%, and 27%. In the future, the results obtained suggest an increase in the efficiency of the thermal insulation of the mobile dryer, and the application of the mobile dryer in a small farm, for the recovery of exhaust gases from thermal power plants.

scholarly journals Comparative Study of the Properties of Wood Flour and Wood Pellets Manufactured from Secondary Processing Mill Residues

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 2487
Author(s):  
Geeta Pokhrel ◽  
Yousoo Han ◽  
Douglas J. Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Wood Flour ◽  
The United States ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Wood Pellets ◽  
Secondary Processing ◽  
Material Costs ◽  
Mill Residues

The generation of secondary processing mill residues from wood processing facilities is extensive in the United States. Wood flour can be manufactured utilizing these residues and an important application of wood flour is as a filler in the wood–plastic composites (WPCs). Scientific research on wood flour production from mill residues is limited. One of the greatest costs involved in the supply chain of WPCs manufacturing is the transportation cost. Wood flour, constrained by low bulk densities, is commonly transported by truck trailers without attaining allowable weight limits. Because of this, shipping costs often exceed the material costs, consequently increasing raw material costs for WPC manufacturers and the price of finished products. A bulk density study of wood flour (190–220 kg/m3) and wood pellets (700–750 kg/m3) shows that a tractor-trailer can carry more than three times the weight of pellets compared to flour. Thus, this study focuses on exploring the utilization of mill residues from four wood species in Maine to produce raw materials for manufacturing WPCs. Two types of raw materials for the manufacture of WPCs, i.e., wood flour and wood pellets, were produced and a study of their properties was performed. At the species level, red maple 40-mesh wood flour had the highest bulk density and lowest moisture content. Spruce-fir wood flour particles were the finest (dgw of 0.18 mm). For all species, the 18–40 wood flour mesh size possessed the highest aspect ratio. Similarly, on average, wood pellets manufactured from 40-mesh particles had a lower moisture content, higher bulk density, and better durability than the pellets from unsieved wood flour. Red maple pellets had the lowest moisture content (0.12%) and the highest bulk density (738 kg/m3). The results concluded that the processing of residues into wood flour and then into pellets reduced the moisture content by 76.8% and increased the bulk density by 747%. These material property parameters are an important attempt to provide information that can facilitate the more cost-efficient transport of wood residue feedstocks over longer distances.

scholarly journals Parameters of Trucks and Loads in the Transport of Scots Pine Wood Biomass Depending on the Season and Moisture Content of the Load

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 223
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Trzciński ◽  
Łukasz Tymendorf ◽  
Paweł Kozakiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Wood Chips ◽  
Total Weight ◽  
Wood Biomass ◽  
Four Seasons ◽  
Gross Vehicle Weight ◽  
Bulk Volume ◽  
Average Quantity

Transport of wood biomass is one of the key operations in forestry and in the wood industry. An important part is the transport of shredded wood, where the most common forms are chips and sawdust. The aim of the research was to present the variability of the total weight of trucks (gross vehicle weight, GVW), the weight of the empty trucks (tare), and loads of chips and sawdust in different periods of the year. Changes in specific parameters were analyzed: GVW; tare weight; trailer capacity; use of the trailer load capacity; bulk volume and bulk density of wood biomass loads; solid cubic meter (m3) and weight of 1m3 of the load; and load weight depending on the season, with simultaneous measurements of wood chips and sawdust moisture. More than 250 transports from four seasons of the year were analyzed in the research. It was found that the total weight of trucks (GVW) was at a comparable level, on average from 39.42 to 39.64 Mg with slight differences (with SD 0.29 and 0.39). The weight of empty trucks was 16.15 Mg for chip-bearing trucks and 15.93 Mg for sawdust-bearing trucks (with SD 0.604 and 0.526). The type of wood material has an influence on the transported volume. The average quantity of load in the bulk cubic meter was 64.783 m3 for wood chips (SD 3.127) and 70.465 m3 (SD 2.516) for sawdust. Over 30% differences in the volume of transported wood chips and approximately 18% for sawdust were observed. The use of the loading capacity of the trailer was on average 72.58% (SD 5.567) for the transport of wood chips and 77.42% (SD 3.019) for the transport of sawdust. The sawdust bulk density was from 0.3050 to 0.4265 Mg⋅m−3 for wood chips and 0.3200 to 0.3556 Mg⋅m−3 for sawdust. This parameter is significantly dependent on moisture content, and the determined correlation functions can be used for estimating and predicting bulk density. The abovementioned absolute moisture content of chips and sawdust also depends on the season, which also affects the selected parameters of wood biomass loads.

Heat and Mass Diffusion Including Shrinkage and Hygrothermal Stress during Drying of Holed Ceramics Bricks

2011 ◽  
Vol 312-315 ◽  
pp. 971-976 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Barbosa da Silva ◽  
G. Silva Almeida ◽  
W.C.P. Barbosa de Lima ◽  
Gelmires Araújo Neves ◽  
Antônio Gilson Barbosa de Lima
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Average Moisture Content ◽  
Stress Distributions ◽  
Drying Process ◽  
Convective Boundary ◽  
Volume Method ◽  
Hygrothermal Stress ◽  
Thermo Physical Properties ◽  
Good Agreement

The Aim of this Work Is to Present a Three-Dimensional Mathematical Modelling to Predict Heat and Mass Transport inside the Industrial Brick with Rectangular Holes during the Drying Including Shrinkage and Hygrothermalelastic Stress Analysis. the Numerical Solution of the Diffusion Equation, Being Used the Finite-Volume Method, Considering Constant Thermo-Physical Properties and Convective Boundary Conditions at the Surface of the Solid, it Is Presented and Analyzed. Results of the Temperature, Moisture Content and Stress Distributions, and Drying and Heating Kinetics Are Shown and Analyzed. Results of the Average Moisture Content and Surface Temperature of the Brick along the Drying Process Are Compared with Experimental Data (T = 80.0oC and RH = 4.6 %) and Good Agreement Was Obtained. it Was Verified that the Largest Temperature, Moisture Content and Stress Gradients Are Located in the Intern and External Vertexes of the Brick.

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