SOLID FUEL

Solid fuel refers to various forms of solid material that can be burnt to release energy,
providing heat and light through the process of combustion. Solid fuels can be contrasted
with liquid fuels and gaseous fuels. Common examples of solid fuels
include wood, charcoal, peat, coal, Hexamine fuel tablets, wood pellets, corn, wheat, rye, and
other grains. Solid fuels are extensively used in rocketry as solid propellants. Solid fuels have
been used throughout human history to create fire and solid fuel is still in widespread use
throughout the world in the present day.

Types of Solid Fuels

 Wood

Wood fuel can refer to several fuels such

as firewood, charcoal, wood chips sheets, pellets,
and sawdust. The particular form used depends upon
factors such as source, quantity, quality and application. In
many areas, wood is the most easily available form of fuel,
requiring no tools in the case of picking up dead wood, or
few tools. Today, burning of wood is the largest use
of energy derived from a solid fuel biomass. Wood fuel can
be used for cooking and heating, and occasionally for
fueling steam engines and steam turbines that generate
electricity. Wood may be used indoors in a furnace, stove,
or fireplace, or outdoors in a furnace, campfire, or bonfire.
As with any fire, burning wood fuel creates numerous by-products, some of which may be
useful (heat and steam), and others that are undesirable, irritating or dangerous. There is
debate as to whether burning wood can be considered carbon neutral, as technically the
wood cannot release more carbon than was sequestered during its growth, although this
does not take account of other impacts such as deforestation and rotting has on the carbon
footprint. When harvested in a sustainable fashion wood is usually considered to be a
renewable solid fuel.
Wood is one of the most commonly used solid fuels.

 Biomass

Although wood is a form of biomass, the term

usually refers to other natural plant material that can be
burnt for fuel. Common biomass fuels include waste wheat,
straw, nut shells and other fibrous material.
 Peat

Peat fuel is an accumulation of partially decayed

vegetation or organic matter that can be burnt once
sufficiently dried.

 Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-
black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in
layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. Throughout
history, coal has been used as an energy resource,
primarily burned for the production of electricity and heat,
and is also used for industrial purposes, such as refining
metals. Coal is the largest source of energy for
the generation of electricity worldwide, as well as one of
the largest worldwide anthropogenic sources of carbon
dioxide releases. The extraction of coal, its use in energy
production and its byproducts are all associated
with environmental and health effects including climate
change. Variations such as smokeless coal can be formed naturally in the form of anthracite,
a metamorphosed type of coal with a very high carbon content that gives off a smokeless
flame when set alight.

 Coke

Coke is a fuel with few impurities and a

high carbon content, usually made from coal. It is the
solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive
distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes
made from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke
can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-
made. The form known as petroleum coke, or pet coke, is
derived from oil refinery coker units or other cracking
processes.
 Municipal Waste

Municipal solid waste commonly known as trash or

garbage in the United States and as rubbish in Britain, is
a waste type consisting of everyday items that are
discarded by the public. With the correct technology it can
be gasified and converted to a viable fuel source. However,
this is technology heavy and can only be used where the
waste is known not to contain toxic materials.

Benefits/Disadvantages of Solid Fuel

Solid fuels, compared to liquid fuels or gaseous fuels, are often cheaper, easier to extract,
more stable to transport and in many places are more readily available.[8][9] Coal, in particular, is
utilized in the generation of 38.1% of the world’s electricity because it is less expensive and more
powerful than its liquid and gas counterparts. However, solid fuels are also heavier to transport,
require more destructive methods to extract/burn and often have higher carbon, nitrate and
sulphate emissions. With the exception of sustainable wood/biomass solid fuel is normally
considered non-renewable as it requires thousands of years to form.

Solid Fuel Testing

Testing of solid fuels and residues to examine quality, properties and composition. Testing
of solid fuels for energy and heat generation and residues from these processes.
Solid fuel quality testing from intertek helps determine the chemical make-up, commercial
quality, and regulatory compliance for coal, metallurgical coke, petroleum coke, biomass
including wood pellets, and other solid carbon based fuels. Tests are performed to accepted
industry standards, including ASTM, ISO, and others.

SOLID FUEL ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES INCLUDE:

 Proximate analysis for: ash, fixed carbon, moisture, and volatile matter
 Ultimate analysis (CHNOS)
 Total carbon content
 Heating Value testing (BTU
 Total halogens analysis (Br, Cl, F)
 Trace elemental analysis (trace metals analysis)
 Mineral Analysis of Ash
 Ash Fusion Temperature properties
 Size Distribution
 Bulk Density
 Additional tests
 Solid fuel testing services are provided to a variety of industries and government research
labs around the country. This type of testing is in support of alternate fuels to power research,
MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology) regulations for boilers and industrial furnaces,
and quality control testing of fuels to maximize combustion performance. Analytical capabilities
include analyzing of coal, wood chips, biomass, used tires, waste oil, and other organic liquids
for:

 Proximate (Moisture, Ash, Volatile Matter & Fixed Carbon)

 Ultimate (CHNOS)
 Total Halogens (Br, Cl, F)
 Heavy Metals
 Mineral Analysis of Ash
 Heating Value (BTU)

Analysis of Solid Fuels for Energy & Heat Generations

We provide sample preparation and determination of a wide range of fuel quality
parameters for solid mineral fuels (coal, coke, cinders, brown coal and peat), solid bio fuels
(wood pellets, wood chips, straw, grain, nut shells, cherry stones and other biomass) and liquid
fuels (gas oil and fuel oil).
We perform analysis for many different characteristics, such as composition, e.g. content
of water, ash, sulphur and chlorine, energy content such as gross and net calorific values or the
properties of the fuel ash such as the ash melting behaviour.

PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF THE BIOMASS FUELS

Fuel Analysis Ensures Knowledge About Quality
If you are a fuel consumer, it is important that you have knowledge about your fuel quality
in order to be prepared to handle operating problems such as slag formation or corrosion.
 Requirements should be listed for all relevant fuel parameters for each individual plant.
Thus, you ensure the necessary fuel quality and the purchase price. Quality control of the
supplied fuel consignment constitutes important follow up.
Whether you manufacture or sell fuels, it is very important to know the quality of your
products and to be able to document this to your customers. By performing a test of the product,
you and your customers will be certain of the quality work you trade in.

Analysis of Ashes and Other Residues

We provide testing of ashes and other residues from combustion or gasification processes
as regards determining energy and environmental issues. It may be residues such as fly ash,
boiler ash, cyclone ash, bottom ash, deposits and flue gas cleaning products such as gypsum.
On the energy side, it is the “unburned material” in the ashes which is significant regarding
plant efficiency. As a measure for “unburned material”, we are able to determine Loss on Ignition,
which is traditional for coal ashes. Howeever, it is not sufficient for ashes from bio fuels, which is
why we also offer analysis of total carbon content, TOC and/or residual energy.
As regards the environment, recycling or depositing are governed by a number of statutory
orders which hold requirements as to the quality of the residual products. Such requirements may
include content of nutritive substances, heavy metals and organic compounds. We hold thorough
knowledge of the requirements in these statutory orders, which ensure that you get the correct
type of testing.