Agripellet, WASTE becomes a PRODUCT
Biomass from farming waste and repurpose as a ecological biofuel.
Straw pellet
Pellet miscanthus
Rapeseed pellet
Almond shells
Hazelnut shells
Walnut shells
Coconut shells
Grape seeds
These are just some example of agripellets. Each type is characterized by a different chemical composition. In general, agripellet is considered as a low quality biomass due to the high ash content. It tends to be rich in low-melting components that make its application challenging due to the problem of synterizations. These problems can be solved with the application of a burner specially designed for agripellet.
Agripellet burner
Agripellet characteristics
Synterization
In the biomass can be present chemical components that melt at low temperature (low melting point). During the combustion, these components melt; as a result the ash is agglomerated in large solid blocks. This phenomenon is called synterization and it needs to be addressed in order to prevent the stop of the heating system.
Ash content
The ash content The percentage of ash generated from the combustion of the agripellet depends on the type of biomass in consideration. With the term agripellet we include a large range of farming waste and biomass. Each different coltivation varies grately also based on the geographical location, method used for harvesting. Straw pellet can have a ash content that ranges from 5 to 20%.
Certified wood pellet CEN/TS 14961 has a ash content equal to 0.7%. For every 100 kg of pellet we would therefore obtain 700 grams of ash. When we use agripellet with ash content equal to 3%, we would obtain about 3 Kg of ash every 100 kg of pellet; a much larger volume of ash compared by the one generated from wood pellet. For this type of applications it is therefore necessary to have a burner specifically designed for this type of challenge.
Heating capacity
The heating capacity of agripellet is extremely variable and depends on different factors; it is usually lower than the heating capacity of wood pellet (about 4.7 kW/Kg).
Agripellet from grapes shoots
Repurposing of waste from the grape harvesting
Example of a short supply chain: harvesting grapes shoots, peletizing and combustion. Project presented in collaboration of the university “Università Politecnica delle Marche”. (Available only in Italian)
