In developing countries, biomass represents the main source of energy with 300 to 375 million tonnes being used in small- to medium-scale industries. This industrial use causes local wood supply and associated deforestation problems which can be alleviated by efficient use of the fuel. This publication, which forms part of a series, is intended for use by plant operators and researchers in the field of biomass combustion to enable the evaluation of plant performance and provide the means to improve it. Combustion calculations including stoichiometric air requirements, theoretical flue gas composition and diabatic flame temperatures are explained in detail. Fuel properties of over 140 biomass materials are tabulated. A wide range of equipment is available for biomass combustion, some of which is derived from systems designed for solid fossil fuel combustion. Some of the considerations required to adapt such equipment are covered and a brief review of the different types of solid fuel combustion systems is included. Procedures and instrumentation for measurement of gas composition and temperatures in combustion equipment are reviewed and the advantages and disadvantages of each type of instrument are discussed. Methods for correcting systematic errors in gas temperature measurement are explained. The results of the measurements can be used to calculate the efficiency of the combustion system and the magnitude of the different losses
