EMISSIONS FROM THE COMBUSTION OF EUCALYPTUS AND PINE CHIPS IN A FLUIDISED BED REACTOR

Interest in renewable energies has increased in recent years due to environmental concerns about global warming and air pollution, reduced costs and improved efficiency of technologies. Under the EU energy directive, biomass is an eligible source of renewable energy. Among others, the technology of fluidized bed combustion represents an important asset in many industrial processes because it presents several advantages. The aim of this study was to experimentally quantify and characterize the emissions of particulate matter (PM2.5) resulting from combustion in a pilot -scale bubbling fluidized bed combustor with variations in fuel (pine and eucalyptus chips), and operational conditions. The variables evaluated were the stoichiometry used and, in the case of the eucalyptus, the leaching of the fuel. The CO and PM2.5 emission factors were lower when the stoichiometry used in the experiment was higher. The treatment of the fuel before its combustion has showed to be an effective way to reduce the CO emissions. However, the PM2.5 emissions were higher when the leachate eucalyptus was used. The particulate mass was composed mainly of inorganic matter. Organic and elemental carbon represented 3.7 to 29.8% (w/w) and the carbonate (CO32-) represented between 2.3 and 8.5% (w/w) of the particles mass.