Evaluation of willow stem chaff moisture content and temperature variation in the store

Abstract

The article provides evaluation of willow stem chaff, used for ecological fuel, moisture content and temperature variation using different contents of blowing air in three stores. The methodology for willow stem chaff moisture content and temperature variation testing and experimental results are presented. One year growth of willow stems, chopped by the forage combine Maral 125 chopper, were used for experimental investigation of the storage of willow stem chaff and the drying in the stores by natural ambient air. It was found that the mast chaff in the individual storage sections was not dried uniformly from the bottom to up. The chaff in the first store was dried most intensively when ventilating with full blowing air quantity of 1300±20 m3/(t×h): moisture content of chaff in the first and fourth sections decreased to 19.6% and 43.0%, respectively. The mass variation was less intensive in the second store, where the chaff was ventilated by blowing half the quantity of air. The chaff dried worst in the third store, where active ventilation was not used. In this store, heating of the mass and mould were observed in all layers of the chaff. When transporting and handling moldy willow chaff, mold spores can get into the air and lead to respiratory diseases of people working in stores. Burning of moldy fuel leads to emissions of harmful substances into the ambient air. Therefore, it is not recommended to store long time wet willow stems without ventilation.