Avaliação de perda de energia em função do teor de umidade em cavacos de Pinus sp

Abstract

After years of exploration, the timber shortage started to become worrying in Brazil, which led to a series of tax incentives giving rise to the first commercial plantations, mostly species of Pinnus and Eucalyptus. Currently, according to ABRAF (2013), Brazil has about 7 million hectares of forests planted for commercial purposes, which can be used in different ways. The direct use of wood as fuel material can, however, have reduced efficiency, with the calorific value of wood inversely related to its moisture content. For good combustion to occur, the wood should be used with moisture content below 25%. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the energy loss due to changes in the moisture content of the wood chips in a company's agribusiness sector. For it was held in partnership with a company, analysis of the chips of the moisture content according to the methodology described in ABNT / NBR 14929/2003, calculating the loss of power to the evaporation of water formation of the timber, and also the water that make up the moisture content. The average moisture content was found to be 34.87% on a wet basis, resulting in an effective calorific value of 2.703,87Kcal / kg Burning wood with high moisture content increases acquisition costs of raw materials and decrease the energy efficiency thereof. The amount of available energy is related to the amount of water present in the timber, the greater the quantity of water, effectively lower its calorific value.