FLOW AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SWITCHGRASS, PEANUT HULL, AND POULTRY LITTER

摘要

The heating value; carbon, hydrogen, and ash contents; and the effect of particle size (hammer mill screen sizes of 0.8, 1.6, and 3.2 mm) on the flow and physical properties of three biomass feedstocks (peanut hull, switchgrass, and poultry litter) were determined. Poultry litter had a heating value of 13.11 MJ/kg and was significantly lower (P 0.05) than the heating values of switchgrass (19.20 MJ/kg) and peanut hull (19.93 MJ/kg). The carbon, hydrogen, and ash contents of poultry litter were also significantly different from those of switchgrass and peanut hull. Compressibility, bulk and particle densities of the feedstocks were significantly affected (P 0.05) while their flow behavior were not significantly affected by particle size. Poultry litter was the least compressible (maximum of 12.2% at consolidating pressure of 15 kPa), while peanut hull was the most compressible (maximum of 33.0% at consolidating pressure of 15 kPa). Based on compressibility and the values of flow index (peanut hull = 2.80; switchgrass = 3.46; poultry litter = 4.46), peanut hull and switchgrass can be classified as cohesive/poor flowing materials, while poultry litter is an easy flowing material