The new meaning of solid fuels from lignocellulosic biomass used in low-emission automatic pellet boilers

The energy obtained from biomass in the global balance of energy carriers is the largest source among all RES. It should be borne in mind that the share of biomass as an energy carrier in the total balance is as much as 14%. The basic sources of renewable energy used in Poland are the wind power industry and biomass. Organic chemical compounds are the source of chemical energy for biomass. The biomass can be used in a solid form (wood, straw) or after being converted to liquid (alcohol, bio-oil) or gas (biogas) form. Pellets, meaning, the type of fuel of natural origin created from biomass compressed under high pressure without the participation of any chemical adhesive substances are recognized as the most woodchips are the most popular type of pellets on the market. Fuel created in the form of granules is very dense and can be manufactured with low humidity content, which translates into an exceptionally high burn efficiency. The authors of this article burned agro pellets from Miscanthus giganteus without additives and with solid catalyst and conducted a series of tests that determine the impact of boiler settings (blast power, time of feeding, chimney draft) on the process of burning fuel in real conditions. A solid catalyst was used to improve combustion conditions in one of the fuels. The catalyst burns carbon monoxide and reduces nitrogen oxides. The results in the form of observation of selected parameters are summarized in the table

The quality of wood pellets used in automatic class 5 Ecodesign boilers on the retail market in the context of air protection in Poland

Wood pellets, commonly referred to as biomass fuel, are increasingly used in heating and district heating in the European Union countries, including Poland. Their use in class 5 and/or Ecodesign boilers enables an individual consumer to use energy from renewable sources, reduce the environmental burden by reducing the emission of harmful compounds, and provides a sense of comfort by automating the boiler system. The article presents the current situation in the global wood pellet market, describes the basic quality standards applicable to this fuel during production, and indicates the difficulties in the implementation of programs co-financing the replacement of obsolete coal-fired boilers with automatic class 5 biomass-fired boilers. The research presented in this article is focused on the presence of contaminants in the DIN Plus, EN Plus, and A1 pellets, as well as in non-certified pellets. The analysis has shown that the use of wood pellets containing prohibited substances negatively affects boiler operation and contributes to the formation of slag and the emission of harmful compounds, making the discussed fuel non-ecological. Pellet drzewny, potocznie nazywany biomasą, staje się coraz bardziej dostępnym paliwem stosowanym w ogrzewnictwie i ciepłownictwie w krajach Unii Europejskiej, jak również w Polsce. Jego zastosowanie w kotłach grzewczych posiadających 5. klasę lub/i świadectwo Ecodesign umożliwia indywidualnemu konsumentowi wykorzystanie energii pochodzącej ze źródeł odnawialnych, zmniejszenie uciążliwości dla środowiska poprzez redukcję emisji szkodliwych związków do powietrza oraz zapewnia poczucie komfortu użytkowania poprzez automatyzację obsługi urządzenia grzewczego. W artykule przedstawiono bieżącą sytuację na światowym rynku pelletu drzewnego, opisano podstawowe standardy jakości obowiązujące dla tego paliwa podczas produkcji oraz wskazano trudności w realizacji programów dofinansujących wymianę starych kotłów węglowych na kotły automatyczne 5. klasy na biomasę. Badania prezentowane w niniejszej publikacji ukazują problem, jakim jest obecność niedozwolonych zanieczyszczeń zarówno w certyfikowanym pellecie DIN Plus, EN Plus A1 jak i takim, który tego certyfikatu nie posiada. Badania te dowodzą, że stosowanie pelletów drzewnych, w których zastosowano niedozwolone substancje, wpływają negatywnie na pracę kotła, powodują powstawanie twardych spieków żużlowych i wprowadzają szkodliwe związki do atmosfery powodując, że to paliwo staje się nieekologiczne

The MCB code for numerical modeling of Fourth Generation nuclear reactors

R&D in the nuclear reactor physics demands state-of-the-art numerical tools that are able to characterize investigated nuclear systems with high accuracy. In this paper, we present the Monte Carlo Continuous Energy Burnup Code (MCB) developed at AGH University’s Department of Nuclear Energy. The code is a versatile numerical tool dedicated to simulations of radiation transport and radiation-induced changes in matter in advanced nuclear systems like Fourth Generation nuclear reactors. We present the general characteristics of the code and its application for modeling of Very-High-Temperature Reactors and Lead-Cooled Fast Rectors. Currently, the code is being implemented on the supercomputers of the Academic Computer Center (CYFRONET) of AGH University and will soon be available to the international scientific community

An assessment of the efficiency and emissions of a pellet boiler combusting multiple pellet types

With sustainable energy being the key to reaching climate neutrality, the utilization of nonwooden biomass is a necessity. This article compares the emissions and efficiency of combusting a number of types of agrobiomass and wood pellets. A comparison was made on a moving grate pellet burner mounted in a boiler, where flue gas had a vertical flow via two pass heat exchangers with turbulization elements. Tests were conducted on wood pellets (ENPlus), miscanthus straw pellets, sunflower husk pellets, and corn stover pellets. During combustion, both wood and miscanthus pellets met the PN-EN 303-5:2012 emission and efficiency requirements. Corn stover pellets met the requirement on the nominal capacity. Sunflower husk pellets are characterized by excessive CO and particulate matter emissions. Sunflower husk pellets were the most problematic fuel from the point of view of the results of this research. During combustion of the miscanthus straw pellets there was a need to decrease the nominal heating capacity due to ash sintering

Efekty ekonomiczne i ekologiczne wspólspalania biomasy z węglem w kotłach pyłowych : rozprawa doktorska /

Recenzenci pracy: Adam Guła, Tadeusz J. Chmielniak.Praca doktorska. Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza im. Stanisława Staszica (Kraków), 2007.Bibliogr. k. 118-123.Odnawialne źródła energii w krajowym systemie elektroenergetycznym, krótka charakterystyka sektora elektroenergetycznego w Polsce, charakterystyka ogólna OZE, biomasa jako surowiec energetyczny, definicja biomasy, skład, rodzaje, drewno, wierzba energetyczna, jakość paliw z biomasy, standaryzacja, wykorzystanie do celów energetycznych, dopłaty do roślin energetycznych, współspalanie biomasy a ochrona środowiska przyrodniczego, rodzaje zanieczyszczeń atmosferycznych, emisja gazów cieplarnianych, zanieczyszczenia nieorganiczne, CO2, SO2, NOx, węglowodory alifatyczne, wielopierścieniowe aromatyczne, metodyka obliczania kosztów produkcji biomasy, kosztów wytwarzania energii elektrycznej w procesie współspalania, analiza ekonomiczna produkcji biomasy na cele energetyczne, plantacja, dane wejściowe, nakłady inwestycyjne, koszty prac agrotechnicznych, eksploatacji plantacji, magazynowania, załadunku, transportu, zestawienie kosztów, analiza ekologiczna współspalania węgla i biomasy, koszty emisji ze spalania, analiza ekonomiczna wytwarzania energii elektrycznej w procesie współspalania, wpływ dodatku biomasy do węgla na sprawność procesu produkcji energii elektrycznej, koszty wytwarzania energii elektrycznej, obliczanie kosztów wytworzenia 1 Mg biomasy na cele energetyczne, koszty produkcji biomasy z wierzby energetycznej dla przykładowych plantacji, obliczanie kosztów korzystania ze środowiska przyrodniczego, kosztów związanych z handlem uprawnieniami do emisji CO2 w wyniku współspalania biomasy z węgle

Improving energy efficiency and building a low-emission economy based on example of Lesser Poland Voivodeship

Improving energy efficiency and building a low-emission economy are fundamental elements of sustainable development. The concept is based on a rational-energy economy and is aimed at limiting the negative consequence of the impact of energy on the environment. The main purpose of the paper is to assess the application of activities for both improving energy efficiency and building a low-emission economy, undertaken in Małopolska . Thermomodernization, installations of renewable energy sources, replacement of inefficient heating sources, and low-emission transport are among the cofinanced activities in the implemented programs. The first section of this paper discusses existing legal acts in the European Union, at the national and provincial levels, related to the analyzed issue. The second section contains description of the actions undertaken for improving energy efficiency and air quality, as well as for increasing the use of renewable energy sources, in Małopolska. The third section includes a qualitative assessment of the effects obtained and further directions for activities in this field

Możliwości rozwoju magazynów energii w Polsce w perspektywie długoterminowej

The EU climate policy assumes an increase of the renewable energy share in total energy generation to 27% by 2030 year. This step is a response to the climate change, based on the fact that the operation of renewable energy power plants is emission-free. However, it is important to note that electricity generation from r enewable sources, mainly wind and photovoltaic, is highly dependent on atmospheric conditions, and is thus unreliable. As a consequence, the development of stable energy sources is required in order to guarantee energy security. Promising solutions include energy storage technologies. The power-to-gas systems may be deployed as adjuncts to wind parks or photovoltaic generation. The energy generated at the time of maximum sunshine or wind is accumulated and used at the moment of high electricity demand. The purpose of this article is to propose a location for the development of the Power-to-gas technology in Poland aiming to store energy derived from renewable energy sources

Improving the Quality of Electricity in Installations with Mixed Lighting Fittings

The issues that are presented in the article concern the broadly understood parameters of the operation of lighting fixtures in mixed systems and the improvement of the quality of electricity, considered in two aspects: as receivers of the energy consumed, determining and generating reactive power, influencing the asymmetry of currents and the production of higher harmonics, determined by the parameters of current and supply voltage (independent of the consumers connected at the connection point), which are influenced by the consumers that are connected at the connection point. After the tests, in order to improve the quality of energy, a proprietary program for the design of passive resonance filters was developed. A wide range of measurements of various types of lighting devices was carried out in single, complex, and mixed systems. Luminaires with discharge and LED sources were selected for the analysis of energy parameters. The tests were carried out in accordance with the IEEE 1459-2010 standard for single-phase circuits with distorted waveforms

Emission factors for heating technologies used in households

Polska od lat zmaga się ze złą jakością powietrza, co bezpośrednio przekłada się na zdrowie ludzkie. Badania wskazują, że największy wpływ na przekraczanie poziomów dopuszczalnych i docelowych stężeń zanieczyszczeń, szczególnie pyłów oraz bezno(a)pirenu, ma niska emisja, w szczególności z sektora gospodarstw domowych. Powodem takiego stanu jest spalanie złej jakości paliwa w starych, mało efektywnych i wysokoemisyjnych paleniskach. Mając na uwadze powyższe zagrożenia, idąc śladem Krakowa i Małopolski, kolejne województwa, miasta i gminy wprowadzają lub rozważają wprowadzenie ograniczenia spalania paliw stałych na swoim terenie oraz całkowitą likwidację kotłów na paliwa stałe niespełniające wymogów ekoprojektu lub ewentualnie normy 5 klasy emisji spalin.Określenie wielkości emitowanych zanieczyszczeń do atmosfery ma kluczowe znaczenie w przypadku podejmowania wysiłków i określania działań zmierzających do poprawy jakości powietrza. W Polsce ruszyły ambitne programy zarówno na poziomie rządowym,jak i regionalnym, które mają na celu wymianę kotłów ipieców w kilku milionach domów. Na przykład szacuje się, że prawie pół miliona kotłów należy wymienić w ramach realizacji uchwały antysmogowej w województwie małopolskim. W artykule zostały przedstawione opracowane współczynniki emisji zanieczyszczeń mających bezpośredni wpływ na lokalną jakość powietrza tj.: współczynniki emisji pyłów, bezno(a)pirenu, tlenków siarki iazotu, tlenku węgla. Zostały wskazane zakresy stosowanych i prezentowanych współczynników emisji dla różnych technologii oraz różnych paliw. Wskazane zostały również standardy emisji obowiązujące dla nowych kotłów oraz ilości zużywanych paliw w gospodarstwach domowych w Polsce. Przedstawiono możliwe zmiany wielkości emisji wprzypadku likwidacji starych kotłów i używania nowoczesnych urządzeń do spalania biomasy oraz węgla wgospodarstwach domowych oraz przeprowadzenia termomodernizacji.For years, Poland has been struggling with poor air quality, which has a direct effect on human health. The low-stack emissions, in particular emissions from the household sector have the highest impact on exceeding the limits and target levels of air pollutants concentration, especially particulate matter and benzo(a)pyrene. The reason for this is the burning of poor quality fuel in old, ineffective and high emission stoves and boilers. Bearing the above risks in mind, following the footsteps of Kraków and Małopolska, further provinces, cities and municipalities have introduced or are considering the introduction of a reduction in the combustion of solid fuels in their area and the complete elimination of boilers for solidfuels that do not comply the ecodesign or class 5emission standards. Determining the volume of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere is of key importance during efforts and campaigns aimed at improving air quality. Ambitious programs have been launched in Poland at both the governmental and the regional level, aimed at exchanging boilers and stoves in several million houses. In the Małopolskie province it is estimated that almost half a million boilers need to be replaced according to the implementation of the anti-smog resolution for this province. The article will present pollutant emission factors having a direct impact on local air quality, i.e.: emission factors for particulate matter, benzo(a)pyrene, sulphur and nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. The ranges of the applied and presented emission factors for different technologies and various fuels will be indicated. Emission standards applicable to new boilers and the fuel consumption in the household sector in Poland have also been presented.Possible changes in the volume of emissions in the case of the liquidation of old boilers and the use of modern devices for burning biomass and coal in households as well as the implementation of thermomodernization are presented

The analysis of the wind potential in selected locations in the southeastern Poland

This paper shows the results of analysis of the wind potential in selected locations in the southern Poland (placed in the Małopolskie, Świętokrzyskie and Podkarpackie Voivodships). The measurements and analysis of the wind resources in potential locations of the wind turbines are important part of the investment process. The statistical analysis involves the creation of histograms (e.g. histogram of the wind speed and direction) and fitting those histograms to theoretical distributions (e.g. Weilbull distributions of wind speed). Such analysis has been described and conducted using measurement data for four selected locations. Basis on the conducted analysis, the economy efficiency and environmental impact of wind turbine operation has been estimated. Three market available wind turbines have been included to calculate NPV, IRR and SPBT indicators. Then, the avoided emissions of CO2, NOx, SO2 and dust have been calculated. There were also conducted some calculation using TRNSYS simulation software. The results of simulations have been compared with measurement data and the level of convergence have been found