Experimental Studies on Energy Crops Torrefaction Process Using Batch Reactor to Estimate Torrefaction Temperature and Residence Time

Biomass of agricultural origin has the biggest potential from all kind of renewable energy sources in Poland because it provide continuous electricity generation, and is the only widespread source of renewable heat. In this paper an installation with a batch reactor was used to conductor experimental tests on three different energy plants by means of the torrefaction process: willow, Pennsylvanian mallow, and Jerusalem artichokes. Those energy plants were growing ion low-grade soils, which are abundant in Poland. Torrefaction or simply roasting of biomass is a thermal degradation of biomass structures by heating it a inert gas atmosphere like nitrogen under atmospheric pressure. This process removes low weight organic volatile components and moisture as well as depolymerises the long polysaccharide chains of biomass. To build up a demonstration plant for torrefaction process of energy crops plants the information concerning the specific temperature of caring the carbonization process for specific type of fuel and residence time should be provided in order to obtain the best C/H ratio in fuel, which is responsible for High Heating Value, carbonization level and best physico-chemical properties as a new fuel for energy production.