Combustion performance and emission characteristics of agricultural residue pellets as alternatives to wood pellets

Creative Commons License

Bilgin S., Yılmaz H., Karayel D., Çanakcı M., Topakcı M.

Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, cilt.48, sa.1, ss.1-17, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, AHCI, SSCI, ESCI, Scopus)

Özet

The increasing demand for sustainable heating has increased interest in biomass pelletsfrom agricultural residues. This study examines the combustion performance, emissions,and thermal degradation of various agricultural residue pellets compared to woodpellets. Combustion tests in a pellet stove revealed that woody residues, such as pineneedle and olive pruning pellets, had higher efficiency, lower CO and NOx emissions,and more stable combustion than herbaceous residues such as grass and pepper stalkpellets. Olive pruning pellets reached the highest flue gas temperature (274 °C), whilepepper stalk pellets recorded the lowest temperature (154 °C). CO emissions fromherbaceous pellets (up to 6,318 mg Nm−3) were significantly higher than wood pellets(576 mg Nm−3). NOx emissions correlated with nitrogen content, peaking at 904 mgNm−3 for grass pellets. Some agricultural pellets, such as pomegranate pruning pellets(15.13 GJ m−3), had energy densities surpassing wood pellets (13.60 GJ m−3). However,optimizing stove design is necessary for efficient agricultural pellet combustion.