UNIVERSITI TENAGA NASIONAL

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

MEHB503 RENEWABLE ENERGY

ASSIGNMENT 2

BIOMASS CALCULATION

NAME ID
MUHAMMAD SHUKRI BIN MOHD HALIMI ME094836
KALAISELVAN A/L SUKUMARAN ME088968

LECTURER : MR MOHD EQWAN BIN MOHD ROSLAN

SUBMITTAL DATE : 5th December 2016

 MEHB503 Renewable Energy Semester 2 2016/2017

Biomass Calculations Exercise (dateline: 5th December 2016)

The operators of Jimah Power Station are interested in cofiring biomass into one of
their coal fired boiler with a conversion efficiency of 34.6 %. Agricultural residues have
been identified as the biomass fuel due to its local availability. A fuel characterisation
study was carried out by TNB Research Sdn Bhd obtaining the following results.

TABLE 1. Gross calorific values (as determined) of agricultural residues

Biomass CV / kcal/kg
Rice Husk 3815
Rubberwood Bark 5091
Rubberwood Sawdust 4797

TABLE 2. Proximate analyses results (as determined) of agricultural residues

Biomass Moisture / % Ash / % Volatiles / % Fixed Carbon / %

Rice Husk 8.06 13.37 64.63 13.94
Rubberwood Bark 3.29 2.81 77.85 16.05
Rubberwood Sawdust 4.87 1.31 81.27 12.56

1. Calculate the values to complete the following tables:

TABLE 4. Gross calorific values of agricultural residues

Biomass CV / MJ/kg CVdry / MJ/kg CVdaf / MJ/kg

Rice Husk 15.96 14.67 12.54
Rubberwood Bark 21.30 20.60 20.00
Rubberwood Sawdust 20.07 19.09 18.83

Example Calculation:

Rice Husk
1kcal = 4184J
𝑘𝑐𝑎𝑙 4184 𝐽 1 𝑀𝐽
𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 = 3815 . .
kg 1 kcal 1x10⁶

= 15.96 MJ/kg

100 − 8.06
𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐲 = ( ). (15.96)
100

= 14.67 MJ/kg

100 − (8.06 + 13.37)

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐟 = ( ). (15.96)
100

= 12.54 MJ/kg
TABLE 5. Proximate analyses results (dried) of agricultural residues

Biomass Ash / % Volatiles / % Fixed Carbon / %

Rice Husk 14.57 70.30 15.16
Rubberwood Bark 2.91 80.50 16.60
Rubberwood Sawdust 1.37 85.43 13.20

Example Calculation:

Rice Husk
Biomass whole composition – percentage of moisture = Dried composition (new)
100% - 8.06% = 91.94%

𝐴𝑠ℎ 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 13.37

( ) . (100%) = 𝑥 100%
Dried Composition (new) 91.94

= 14.57 %

𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 64.63

( ) . (100%) = 𝑥 100%
Dried Composition (new) 91.94

= 70.30 %

𝐹𝑖𝑥𝑒𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑜𝑛 13.94

( ) . (100%) = 𝑥 100%
Dried Composition (new) 91.94

= 15.16 %

TABLE 6. Proximate analyses results (dried, ash free) of agricultural mill residues

Biomass Volatiles / % Fixed Carbon / %

Rice Husk 82.15 17.72
Rubberwood Bark 82.92 17.09
Rubberwood Sawdust 86.61 13.39

Example Calculation:

Rice Husk
Biomass whole composition – moisture - Ash = Biomass daf
100% - 8.06% - 13.27% = 78.67%

64.63
𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 = 𝑥 100%
78.67

= 82.15 %

13.94
𝐅𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 = 𝑥 100%
78.67

= 17.72 %
2. On the day of testing the power plant receives its supply of empty fruit bunch at a
moisture content of 16.8 %wt. The coal yard stocks Adaro coal at an average calorific
value of 5887 kcal/kg. Determine the fuel feed rate in tonne/hour, for both biomass and
coal if the operators selected empty fruit bunch as the fuel for co-firing at 10 % of
thermal substitution.

FUEL FEED RATE

Capacity = 700 MW (output) Efficiency = 34.6%
Input · Ƞ% = 700MW
Input · 34.6 % = 700MW
Input = 2023.12 MW EFB = 10%
Coal = 90%

EFB COAL
10% = 202.31 MW 90 % =1820.81 MW
100% = 2023.12 MW 100% = 2032.12 MW

Coal,
5887 kcal/kg = 24.641 MJ/kg (CV coal)
How much it can produce;
CVcoal · X = 1820.81 MW
24.641 MJ/kg · X = 1820.81 MJ/s
1820.81 𝑀𝐽/𝑠
X= 24.641 𝑀𝐽/𝑘𝑔
X = 73.89 kg/s
X = 73.89 kg/s · 0.001 tonne/kg · 3600 s/hr
Fuel feed rate, coal = 266.02 tonne/ hr

Biomass,

14.67 𝑥 (100−16.8)
= 12.19 MJ/ kg (CV DRIED RICE HUSK)
100
How much it can produce;
12.19 MJ/ kg · Y = 202.31 MW
202.31 𝑀𝐽/𝑠
Y = 12.19 𝑀𝐽/𝑘𝑔
Y = 16.96 kg/s
Y = 16.96 kg/s · 0.001 tonne/ kg · 3600 s/hr
Fuel feed rate, EFB = 59.75 tonne/ hr