Chemical investigation of miscanthus × giganteus Greef et Deu. Cultivated in Serbia: A potential renewable source of energy

Abstract

According to scientific community and professional specialists, urging necessity to increase capacity of sources of energy can be partially achieved by using biomass as a raw material. This approach is justified by both economic and ecological reasons. In this paper the results of chemical study of the biomass Miscanthus × giganteus Greef et Deu. cultivated in the Republic of Serbia in the experimental field of the Institute for Application of Nuclear Energy in Zemun were presented. Study of an amount of ashes, elemental analysis of the biomass, and calorific value of the biomass (both higher and lower), which are critical parameters when estimating the quality of a biofuel, points out the possibility of utilization of the miscantus biomass as a fuel. Samples of the plant material for this study were collected during two harvesting periods: in the fall, when the biological yield is the highest, and at the end of the winter, when a highest quality biomass with respect to the combustion is obtained do to a decrease in moisture content and remobilization of the macro- and micronutrients from the above-ground parts of the plants to the rhizomes. Values of the studied parameters indicate that biomass meets the 'green' energy requirements because the amounts of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur in the combustion products would not threaten current quality of the environment and the amount of carbon dioxide produced would be consumed in the process of photosynthesis. Results of the chemical analyses strongly suggest to a high potential of utilization of the miscantus biomass as a biofuel (renewable source of energy) to generate thermal energy.

Delimičan odgovor stručne i naučne javnosti na pitanje kako povećati kapacitete energetskih izvora je upotreba biomase kao sirovine, kako iz ekonomskih, tako i iz ekoloških razloga. U ovom radu su prikazani rezultati fizičko-hemijskih ispitivanja biomase miskantusa (Miscanthus × giganteus Greef et Deu.), gajenog na teritoriji Republike Srbije, oglednom polju Instituta za primenu nuklearne energije, Zemun. Ispitivanjem količine pepela, elementarnog sastava biomase i kalorične vrednosti biomase (donje i gornje), koji su presudni za procenu kvaliteta biogoriva, ukazano je na mogućnost eksploatacije biomase miskantusa kao biogoriva. Prikupljanje uzoraka biljnog materijala za ovo istraživanje izvršeno je u dva žetvena roka: u jesen - vreme maksimuma biološkog prinosa i krajem zime, kada se dobija kvalitetnija biomasa za sagorevanje usled smanjenja sadržaja vlage i remobilizacije makro- i mikrohraniva iz nadzemnih delova rizoma. Vrednosti ispitivanih parametara pokazuju da biomasa ispunjava zahteve 'zelene' energije, jer produkti sagorevanja biomase svojom količinom (oksidi N i S) ne bi ugrožavali postojeći kvalitet životne sredine, a količina nastalog ugljenik (IV) - oksida ne bi predstavljala ekološki problem, jer bi se dalje uključila u proces fotosinteze. Rezultati hemijskih analiza argumentovano ukazuju na veliki potencijal upotrebe biomase miskantusa kao biogoriva (obnovljivog izvora energije) u proizvodnji toplotne energije.