The effect of drying on the heating value of biomass fuels

High moisture fuels usually require drying prior to determination of the gross heating value (GHV). However the loss of combustible matter may be likely particularly for fuels with high volatile matter such as feedlot manure. The present work proposes a methodology that uses the GHV measured in a bomb calorimeter and the mass loss during drying to determine whether there is combustible loss. Four types of manure were tested with moisture content up to 80% and it was found that in drying times as long as six hours, no discernible combustible loss was encountered at the drying temperatures reported by American Society of Testing Methods (ASTM) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).