Assessment of the Low Heat Values of Plant Biomass, Peat and Fossil Coal Based on Technical Analysis
The paper demonstrates an opportunity to determine the elemental composition of combustible mass of plant biomass, peat, and fossil coal based on technical analysis findings followed by assessment of the low heat value of solid fuel. This approach may be useful with the absence of elemental analysis findings and the lower heat of combustion of solid fuel. The content of carbon as the main element that forms the structure of solid fuel may be assessed via the yield of volatile matter, as demonstrated in the first case. Empirical dependencies of H<sub>at</sub>/C<sub>at</sub> and O<sub>at</sub>/C<sub>at</sub> ratios on carbon content in solid fuel, against which the low heat value of solid fuel with sulphur content of no more than 2 % is calculated, are defined. Herewith, the deviation from the literature data did not exceed 10 %. The second option examines an opportunity to determine H<sub>at</sub>/C<sub>at</sub> and O<sub>at</sub>/C<sub>at</sub> ratios via the yield of volatile matter. The low heat values of solid fuels with sulphur contents of no more than 2 % were calculated on the basis of the resulting empirical dependencies; herewith, the deviation from the known values does not exceed 6 %. The use of the resulting empirical dependencies to define the low heat values of solid fuels with sulphur content of 2.1-8.4 % in some cases, gives an increase in deviations from the literature data within 12-14 %.