Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Safety, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Lithuania

Biograph
Algirdas Jasinskas was born in Kaunas region Lithuania and has Bachelor in Agricultural Engineering at the Lithuanian Academy of Agriculture and PhD in Fodder production Technologies and Techniqe at the Latvian Academy of Agriculture. Now he is teaching and working research work at the Aleksandras Stulginskis University in Kaunas, Lithuania. Algirdas Jasinskas scientific works and projects are related to energy and fodder crops harvesting and preparation for forage and fuel technologies qualitatively, energy and environmental assessment, determination of harvested and processed plant biomass physical-mechanical properties, optimization of plant biomass preparation and usage for conversion methods and technical means. For many years he involved in the Lithuanian and international projects, led by the budget-funded scientific research work topics. He has published over 150 scientific papers in Lithuanian and international research journals.

Speech Title: TECHNOLOGICAL, ENERGETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF HERBAL PLANTS PREPARATION AND USAGE FOR ENERGY CONVERSION

Abstract: There were investigated three sorts of herbal energy plants: elephant grass (Miscanthus giganteus), sida (Sida hermaphrodita Rusby) and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea). Plantations of investigated energy plants were grown in Lithuania in the experimental fields of Aleksandras Stulginskis University, and the technical means of plant preparation and usage for energy purposes were investigated. The physical-mechanical properties of chopped and milled unconventional energy plants were investigated. These properties are required to project and choose the storage and transportation equipment. In evaluating the quality of plant chopping and milling, the fractional compositions of reed canary grass, sida and elephant grass chaff as well as the mill were determined. Determined the largest mill fraction was found in the sieve with 0.5- and 0.63-mm diameter holes (from 37.6 to 46.4%). After prepared mill pressing and pellet production were determined main physical-mechanical properties of pellet: moisture content was sufficiently low and varied from 6.7 % to 9.6 %; reed canary grass pellets had the highest density –1035.1±63.9 kg m-3 DM, the lowest density was of elephant grass pellets – 653.6±67.1 kg m-3 DM. After pellets burning there were determined the emissions of harmful gases to the environment. The highest concentration of carbon dioxide was detected when burning sida (7.9 %), and the smallest when burning elephant grass (5.2 %). The most carbon monoxide (CO) was determined when burning elephant grass (2295 ppm), and the smallest concentration of CO was observed when burning reed canary grass (905 ppm). The nitrogen oxide emissions differed only insignificantly; the values ranged from 176 ppm (Reed canary grass) to 216 ppm (Elephant grass). After energetic evaluation of the technology, the common energy preparation expenditures of granulated biofuel and energetic grass were determined. When in the production of pellets biomass moisture was reduced to 15 %, the expenditure was 3.6 MJ kg^-1.

Keywords: herbal plants; solid biofuels; chopping; milling; pellet properties; energy expenditures; emissions.