Characterization of sugarcane bagasse particles separated by elutriation for energy generation

Abstract

Bagasse particle is used in energy generation, and the usual method for determining their size distribution is sieving. Traditional methods for measuring the bagasse particle size distribution, such as sieving, do not evaluate the effect of the irregular particle shape, producing results that are not always applicable to the prediction of fluid dynamic behavior. This work determined size distribution of bagasse particles considering their aerodynamic behavior. Physical-chemical characterization was performed in different particle sizes of the bagasse. A particulate elutriation and settling system was developed to determine the terminal velocity distribution of particles. Drag coefficients and terminal velocities measured were compared with literature correlations. Almost all the correlations analyzed showed significant deviations from the values obtained experimentally. Haider and Levenspiel’s correlation showed the smallest average deviation. Two types of particles were observed in bagasse: fibers and spongy pith. The apparent density of the particles depends on the particle size, and the ash concentration in smaller fractions is 3 times larger than the average. The method of aerodynamic separation for the characterization of bagasse particle allowed to obtain information that cannot be found by the traditional method of separation by sieving