COMBUSTION ABILITY OF ENERGY CROP PELLETS.

Future perspective of the research is the production of fuel pellets from energy plant (Phalaris arundinacea L., Festuca arundinacea, etc.) biomass, because it can be better burnt in granule burners and is more environmentally friendly, if compared to the fossil mineral resources (coal, oil, gas), moreover it has low moisture content (70-90 g kg-1) and correspondingly it produces higher combustion energy. The research covered preparation of various content tablets from reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) variety 'Marathon' (N fertilizer rate on the N-90 kg ha-1), energy wood -- osier (Salix viminalis L) and poplar (Populus tremula L.) with N fertilizer norms N-0 and N-120 kg ha-1, and afterwards research of the combustion ability of and ash content in these tablets. Combustion ability of reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) variety 'Marathon' reached 17.48 MJ kg-1. The highest average combustion ability with different pellet content was found for the fast-growing poplar both with doses of N fertilizer -- 18.55 MJ kg-1 and without N fertilizer -- 18.49 MJ kg-1. Optimum content of various component pellets for biomass was a mixture of components 1/3 (reed canary grass/osier or poplar). The lowest indicators in respect to the ash content were observed for osier (Salix viminalis L.) -- 27.9 g kg-1. The best ash content indicators for a mixture of granular composition was in a mixture of components one-fourth of the reed canary grass with three parts of osier -- 34.3 g kg-1 or with poplar -- 41.8 g kg-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]