Moisture Management for Lignocellulosic Biomass

在加拿大，森林和农业残留物形式的大量木质纤维素生物质构成可再生资源，可通过各种技术转化为生物燃料。近年来，加拿大一直是木屑颗粒形式的致密生物质的主要出口国，预计这一趋势将继续下去。收获后立即使用这些残留物往往是不可行的，因为它们的高水分含量会影响热值、储存性能、运输成本和燃料的定价。干燥是必要的，无论生物质是打算以致密或非致密的形式使用。此外，储存含水量较高的生物质可能存在安全和健康问题。拟议研究项目的总体目标是研究生物干燥作为一种替代干燥技术的技术可行性，与传统方法相比，这种技术有望降低能耗。另一个主要目标是确定储存木屑颗粒的最佳条件和通风策略。长期目标是研究能够提高生物质回收工业可持续性的技术。

In Canada, large amounts of lignocellulosic biomass in the form of forest and agricultural residues constitute renewable resources for conversion into biofuels using a variety of technologies. Canada has been a major exporter of densified biomass in the form of wood pellets in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue. The immediate use of these residues after harvest is often unfeasible due to their high moisture content which affects the calorific value, storage properties, transport costs and the pricing of the fuel. Drying is necessary whether the biomass is intended to be used in densified or non-densified form. Moreover, storage of biomass with higher moisture content could have safety and health concerns. The overarching goal of the proposed research project is to investigate the technical feasibility of biodrying as an alternative drying technique, which is expected to reduce energy consumption compared to conventional methods. Another major objective is to determine the optimal conditions and ventilation strategy for stored wood pellets. The long-term objective is to investigate technologies that can enhance the sustainability of the biomass recycling industry. Phase I of the study involves lab-scale experiments on natural drying and biodrying. Biodrying coincides with the active phase of composting and it may be seen as a "managed natural drying" process. Heat generated from the biodegradation process is used for driving the moisture off the materials. For municipal solid waste, manure and biosolids (sewage sludge), the biomass could be effectively dried within two weeks. Forest and agricultural residues have a slower degradation rate due to their higher lignocellulosic contents. The biomass will be inoculated with mature compost and/or different strains of fungi in the biodrying tests. The related moisture sorption characteristics of the biomass will also be determined. Dry matter losses and gaseous emissions from biodrying will be quantified in order to estimate the effects on the economics and the environment. Computer simulations will be performed and validated using data collected from pilot-scale tests under actual climate conditions in Phase II of the study.