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Title: FUEL PROPERTIES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF SALINE BIOMASS

Author
item BLUNK, SHERRY - UC DAVIS, DAVIS, CA
item JENKINS, BRYAN - UC DAVIS, DAVIS, CA
item ALDAS, RIZALDO - UC DAVIS, DAVIS, CA
item ZHANG, RUIHONG - UC DAVIS, DAVIS, CA
item Pan, Zhongli
item YU, C.W. - UC DAVIS, DAVIS, CA
item SAKR, N.R. - UC DAVIS, DAVIS, CA
item ZHENG, YI - UC DAVIS, DAVIS, CA

Submitted to: American Society of Agricultural Engineers Meetings Papers
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2005
Publication Date: 7/17/2005
Citation: Blunk, S.L., Jenkins, B.M., Aldas, R.E., Zhang, R.H., Pan, Z.L., Yu, C.W., Sakr, N.R., Zheng, Y. 2005. Fuel Properties and Characteristics of Saline Biomass. American Society of Agricultural Engineers Meetings Papers. ASAE Paper No. 056132. p. 1-19. St. Joseph, MI.

Interpretive Summary: Integrated farm drainage management (IFDM) systems employ sequential reuse of water with biomass production to help control saline groundwater and improve the sustainability of arid land irrigated agriculture. Currently operating near Five Points, CA is a 640 acre IFDM demonstration project. Subsurface drainage water is reused to irrigate plants of increasing salt tolerance and produces crops which could be utilized in energy conversion and manufacturing of biobased products. Combustion properties of biomass are influenced by the presence of chlorine, alkali and other metals, all of which may increase in concentration with drainage water reuse. The fuel properties of three species of biomass irrigated with saline-rich water were examined in this research.

Technical Abstract: Integrated farm drainage management (IFDM) systems employ sequential reuse of water with biomass production to help control saline groundwater and improve the sustainability of arid land irrigated agriculture. Currently operating near Five Points, CA is a 640 acre IFDM demonstration project. Subsurface drainage water is reused to irrigate plants of increasing salt tolerance and produces crops which could be utilized in energy conversion and manufacturing of biobased products. Combustion properties of biomass are influenced by the presence of chlorine, alkali and other metals, all of which may increase in concentration with drainage water reuse. The fuel properties of three species of biomass irrigated with saline-rich water were explored, including two types of woods (Athel, Tamarix aphylla (L), a softwood, and Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, a hardwood) and one species of grass (Jose Tall Wheatgrass, Agropyron elongatum). For each species, the as-harvested moisture content for all fractions was determined. In addition, heating value, proximate analysis (ash, volatiles, and fixed carbon), and concentration of acid-insoluble ash were determined for wood/bark composites, as well as for bark and wood fractions, and for baled plant grass samples. Wood and bark dry matter fractions were determined on both a volume and a mass basis along with apparent wood density. Fouling and slagging potentials were characterized through ash volatilization and fusibility determinations. Leaching experiments were conducted to examine extraction rates for alkali and chloride and the potential enhancement of fuel combustion properties.