Energy yield of black locust biomass fuel. [Robinia pseudoacacia L]

Journal Article · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · BioScience; (United States)

OSTI ID:6822033

Stringer, J W; Carpenter, S B

Detailed analysis of 2- and 10-year-old black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) biomass components provided an accurate energy content and energy yield determination as well as an index defining relative ceiling on the delivered cost for black locust biomass in comparison with other fuels such as coal and forest residues. Total energy content of individual biomass components ranged from 20.97 x J kg/sup -1/ for leaf tissue to 19.23 x 10/sup 6/ J kg/sup -1/ for current years' growth. Annual total energy yields ranged from 33.75 to 76.79 x 10/sup 9/ J ha/sup -1/ for 3- and 9-year-old stands, respectively. Nine-year-old stands also exhibited the highest annual net whole-tree and woody biomass (whole-tree less foliage) energy yields of 32.71 and 30.73 x 10/sup 9/ J ha/sup -1/ yr/sup -1/. The net annual energy yields were consistently greater for whole-tree biomass compared with woody biomass due to the foliage included in the whole-tree biomass. The relative cost indices maintained a high degree of variability between comparison fuels. Bituminous coal and forest residues were lowest with an overall mean cost index for woody biomass of $13.28 mt/sup -1/ and $13.72 mt/sup -1/, respectively. Woody biomass maintained a greater relative index than whole-tree biomass over all age classes due to its inherently higher conversion efficiency.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington
• OSTI ID: 6822033
• Journal Information: BioScience; (United States), Journal Name: BioScience; (United States) Vol. 34:2; ISSN BISNA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090400 -- Solid Waste & Wood Fuels-- (-1989)
140504* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
299003 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Unconventional Sources & Power Generation-- Other-- (-1989)
BIOMASS
BIOMASS PLANTATIONS
BITUMINOUS COAL
BLACK COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COST
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY YIELD
FORESTS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MATERIALS
PLANTS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
TREES
YIELDS