Assessment of the Physical and Energetic Properties of Fuel Pellets Made from Sage Waste Biomass with the Addition of Rye Bran

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of rye bran addition on the pelleting process of sage waste biomass, and the quality and energetic properties of fuel pellets. The pelleting process was conducted on an SS-4 test stand equipped with a P-300 pelletizer with flat die roller compactors. The addition of 20% rye bran reduced the pelletizer’s power/energy consumption from 3.75 kW/107 kWh t−1 (0% rye bran content) to 3.19 kW/91 kWh t−1, decreased physical and bulk density, and increased the pellet durability index (PDI). The higher heating value—HHV (19.39 MJ kg−1 at 10% humidity) and the lower heating value—LHV (18.17 MJ kg−1) of sage waste biomass indicate that this plant material is highly suitable for heat generation. The addition of 20% rye bran decreased HHV by 2.07% and LHV by 2.67%.