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Ash Fusion Characteristics of the Blends of Reed and Wood Ashes
... In the Nordic countries the water content of growing reed is lowest during March to May when new shoots have not yet grown and frost creates convenient conditions for mowing. The composition of reed ash depends on the time of harvest, with winter (Link et al. 2012). The resulting reed ash volume is very high and the heap of ash does not collapse on the grate of a stoker burner as wood fuel ash does ( Figure 2). ...
In recent years, common reed (Phragmites australis) has become a conservation problem in Estonia because it has spread into ecologically valuable habitats, out-competing other species and impacting on biodiversity values. Thus, the use of common reed as a biomass fuel may not only provide renewable energy, but also help in biodiversity conservation efforts. The properties of reed as a potential biofuel must be studied because the fuel handling method, the lifetime of combustion equipment (fouling, erosion and corrosion), combustion regimes and environmental impacts such as pollution, ash handling etc. depend on these properties. The combustion characteristics of reed vary to some extent depending both on the site where it grows (coastal area, lake, river delta or wetland treatment system) and seasonally (winter or summer harvesting). This paper presents the results of tests on reed properties including the chemical composition of summer and winter harvested reed and its ash, ash fusibility temperature, physical properties such as moisture and ash proportions, dry bulk density, calorific value and energy density. The impacts of different chemical and physical properties of reed on boiler operation are discussed.
Combustion of fuel blends is becoming more important. During combustion, interactions between ash-forming elements and compounds of different fuel blends can occur. Blending without sufficient knowledge and analysis can easily lead to operational problems, such as slagging, fouling and corrosion. Focus in our study is on the ash behaviour of wheat straw pellets blended with reed (Phragmites australis), wood pellets, and Douglas fir wood chips. The standard method (procedure) of CEN/TS 15370 and STA or simultaneous thermal analysis (thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) coupled with differential thermal analysis (DTA)) were applied to characterize the ash behaviour of the fuel blends studied. The ash melting behaviour of the blend of fuels depends not only on the composition, but also on the content of mineral matter of a single fuel. Low melting eutectics are possible when the K and/or Si-containing fuels are blended.
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