Biomass and Bioenergy Vol. 10, Nos 516,pp.

353-360, 1996
Copyright 0 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd
Pergamon Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved
0961-9534/96$15.00+ 0.00

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL EFFECTS IN DRYING BIOMASS

FOR ENERGY
T. LIANG, M. A. KHAN and Q. MENG
Biosystems Engineering Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, U.S.A.

(Received 1 October 1994; revised 22 September 1995; accepted 10 October 1995)

Abstract-This study evaluates the impact of the moisture content of biomass on thermal efficiency and
relative boiler size which directly represent the economic merits of biomass drying. A model for predicting
the moisture content of bundled Leucaena (Leucocephah) trees under open environment was validated
for tropical Hawaii. Cumulative precipitation and evapotranspiration (ET) are the major factors affecting
the biomass moisture content change. ET was computed using Hargreave’s model, which requires only
temperature and solar radiation data. Integration of these models made it possible to calculate the thermal
efficiency and relative boiler size when using bundled trees as a fuel under a given drying regime and
for a specific geographical location. A geographic information system provided the temperature and
precipitation data required for evaluating the spatial variation in boiler efficiency and size for the 1440
km2 island of Kauai. Depending on the time of harvest, the Leucaena moisture content varied from 35
to 69% (on wet basis) following a period of 6 months of in-field drying. Boiler efficiency using fuelwood
with this range of moisture content varied from 49 to 73%. Boiler relative size varied from 1.2 to 2.2 times
the size required when Leucaena with 0% moisture content is used as a fuel. The spatial and temporal
effects on the value of biomass were thus found to be important factors for various sites in the study area.
The methods for quantifying the merit of biomass moisture management proposed in this paper
demonstrate how GIS modeling can lead to appropriate decision-making capability in bioenergy.
Copyright 0 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Keyword-Drying; biomass; energy; spatial; temporal; GIS; solar; Hawaii; Leucaena.

1. INTRODUCTION moisture range of 25-35%, boiler size increases

The moisture in biomass not only reduces the
net useful energy but also increases the size of
the equipment required to convert the biomass
energy into a useful form. Therefore, it is highly
desirable to reduce the water content of biomass
to avoid the waste of energy for vaporizing the
water and the added capital cost to purchase
larger boiler or gasifier equipment. Figure 1
shows quantitatively the impact of biomass
water on boiler efficiency and the volume of flue
gas per unit of steam, which is proportional to
the boiler size.‘,’In the high moisture range from
50 to 60%, the boiler efficiency improves 1% for
1% drop of moisture. The magnitude of boiler
efficiency improvement decreases to 0.5% for
each 1% loss of moisture as biomass moisture
content decreases below 40%. Nevertheless, the
water in biomass still severely affects the boiler
efficiency. The volume of flue gas per unit steam
generated is proportional to boiler size. In the
mid-range biomass moisture of 40 to 55%, the
boiler size increases 2% for 1% increase in
moisture in the biomass. Even in the low
353
1% for 1% of moisture increase. This increase
in equipment size implies a significant increase
in capital cost as the moisture of biomass fuel
increases. Biomass moisture also inflicts a
similar adverse effect on the gasification process,
and increases tar formation. It was reported that
the biomass moisture reduces both the qualities
of the gas and the throughput of the gasifier.3
Gas heating value drops dramatically when the
moisture content of biomass increases. For
instance, if biomass with 50% moisture content
at harvest is allowed to dry naturally to 30%
moisture, there is a usable heat gain of 1.6 GJ
per tonne of dry-matter produced.4
Realizing the importance of biomass moist-
ure, many researchers have conducted exper-
iments to find the most economical means to dry
biomass. In-field solar drying of biomass
requiring little capital and no additional heat
energy input was the most frequently researched
method. For example, Rogers’ conducted
in-field drying of logging residues for fuel by
delaying logging residue harvesting or by
leaving the residues in the field for three winter
354 T. LIANGet al.

0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80 0.90 1.00
Moisture content (wet basis), decimal

Fig. 1. Boiler efficiency and volume of gas per unit steam versus biomass moisture content.

months. He found that heartwood moisture January to 30 days per month for June. Hence
content of loblolly pine, white oak and sweet the drying rate for each drying technique varies
gum decreased 50.1, 7.0 and 11.5% from initial by species and drying conditions which vary
moisture contents of 69.8, 71.6 and 118.7% spatially and temporally. In order to accurately
respectively. Comparatively, sapwood moisture evaluate the merit of in-field drying, it is
content decreased 60.1, 23.8 and 28.5% from essential that a methodology be developed to
initial moisture contents of 131.2, 72.7 and estimate the varying drying effect over space and
114.7% respectively for the same species. Net time.
fuel values (GJ/wt tonne) increased 72.5 and
32.9% for loblolly pine sapwood and heart 2. MODELING FELLED TREE MOISTURE
wood, 14.1 and 3.8% for white oak, and 24.5
The most straightforward way for determin-
and 9.2% for sweet gum.
ing felled tree moisture change is to actually dry
McMinn and StubbQ conducted a study
felled trees at all possible combinations of
in which Eucalyptus Grandis trees, felled
time, duration and locations. This approach is
November 15, were dried in-field in both 8 foot
obviously too costly and time consuming. A
bolts stacks and as whole trees with crowns left
drying or moisture prediction model based on
intact for four weeks to determine moisture
environmental conditions would be much more
change. The initial Eucalyptus moisture content
desirable. In other words, a model based on
of 131% at the end of the four week drying
or driven by historic weather data is more
period decreased to 94114% for stacked bolts
practical. Hayhoe and Jackson’s’ model for hay
and to 63-78% for whole tree or transpiration
drying was selected for predicting drying rate or
drying. Clearly the transpirational method had
moisture change of felled Leucaena, a fast
the higher drying rate. McMillen and Wengert’
growing nitrogen fixing tree being considered
reported that the time to dry Eastern hardwood
for short rotation energy tree plantations in
lumber to an average moisture content of 20%
Hawaii and at many other tropical locations.
varies from 45 to 165 days for different regions
The model is simple and is defined as follows:
or locations. The time of year also affects the
drying rate. For example, Riet2 reported that
the effective drying days for the upper midwest aiPEi+biPi+c (1)
of the U.S. varied from 5 days per month for i-1 i=I >
 Spatial and temporal
where:
M(t) = moisture at day t for t > 0, % wet
basis
t = days after trees felled
MO = initial moisture content at tree fell
time, % wet basis
a, b = model parameters, mm-’
c = constant, dimensionless
C:=, = cumulative value from day 1 to day t
PE, = potential evaporation of the ith
day, mm
P, = precipitation of the ith day, mm
For estimating potential evapotranspiration
Giltnane” evaluated many models and con-
cluded that Hargreave’s model provided the
best estimate in Hawaii. It is defined (after unit
conversion) as follows:
PE = 3.214286(T + 17.78)R/(595.5 - 0.55lJ
where:
T = average daily temperature, “C
R = incident solar radiation, MJ m -2
To determine the best values for the
parameters a and b in the Hayhoe and Jackson’s
model, whole Leucaena trees were felled and
dried in-field to collect drying data. The trees
were planted at a density of 4000 ha - ’and were
harvested when three years old. At harvest the
diameter at breast height (DBH) ranged from 5
to 15 cm. The data and the best fit Hayhoe
model are plotted in Fig. 2 for different seasons
of the year. The poor prediction of the model in
the early stages of drying could be due to the
retention of moisture by foliage for the first few
days. However, the model described the data
reasonably well for the majority of the drying
period. This model was used to determine the
spatial and temporal effect on drying bundled
whole Leucaena trees in Hawaii. The impact on
drying is expressed in terms of boiler efficiency
as well as the boiler size for turning the biomass
into useful energy.
3. TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL EFFECTS IN
LEUCAENA DRYING
The temporal effect on solar drying of
biomass is often overlooked in biomass
production and management. The drying model
described above was used to predict the
moisture history of in-field dried Leucaena trees
cut on either January 1 or July 1 (Fig. 2). The
effects in drying biomass for energy 355
initial moisture content of these trees was
assumed to be approximately 46% (wet basis).
During the 180-day period, the trees cut in the
middle of the rainy season on January 1 initially
lost moisture very slowly. These trees even
increased their moisture content for almost ten
days. Those cut on July 1 reduced moisture
content more rapidly initially than towards the
end of the 180-day period. Although both
groups of trees reached the target of 15%
moisture content those cut on July 1 reached it
after 130 days. The two drying curves in Fig. 2
indicated that it is necessary to carefully
consider cutting date and drying period in tree
harvesting scheduling.
The spatial effect on tree drying is also not
adequately included in tree production manage-
ment and planning. The same model was used
to predict moisture changes at two distinctly
different locations. Site 1 was located in a dry
(2) region with an annual average precipitation of
100 mm/yr, while site 2 was relatively wet with
an annual average precipitation of 510 mm/yr.
The predicted results, for a specific temporal
and spatial weather cycle, are plotted in Fig. 3.
The initial moisture of all trees was 46%. The
top two curves are for site 2 and the bottom two
for site 1. The drying characteristics of tree
moisture at the two sites are obviously different.
For a drying period of 30 days or more, trees
cut in the rainy season of January at site 2
absorbed water and exhibited no drying at all.
For the same period and location, the
July-felled trees lost 10% moisture and hence
increased the energy value per tonne of the trees.
With respect to biomass moisture content only,
site 1 seemed to be a much better location for
growing energy trees. For selecting desirable
sites to grow Leucaena as an energy source, the
curves in Fig. 3 should not be used in isolation.
It is necessary to express all the relevant
information, at all sites in a given area, in one
place for easy comparison. Mapping the spatial
effect is a promising approach to accomplish
this.
4. MAPPING SPATIAL EFFECT
To test this approach, a geographical
information system” was used to not only
supply the basic data needed to calculate the
moisture content of the biomass but also to
facilitate the output display. This approach was
first applied to a 1440 km2 island (Kauai) in
Hawaii
_.~ where the final Lucaena moisture
 T. LIANG et al.

4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Dayssftercutting

Fig. 2. Model versus experimental data for trees felled 1 July 1990 and 1 January 1991.

content after one month drying was calculated
and varied spatially from 35 to 69% (Fig. 4).
For more than 10% of the land area, in-field
drying increased the moisture of the trees above
the original 46% when felled in January. Those
January-felled trees should be transported out
of these growing areas immediately. In-field
drying will lower the tree moisture content at
least 7% on more than 30% of the land. The
actual drying effects on trees grown and felled
over the 1440 km2 are displayed in a map
(Fig. 5). The drying effects are also presented in
terms of boiler efficiency (Figs 6 and 7) and
relative boiler size (Figs 8 and 9). In-field drying
impact was more significant for trees felled in
July being the dry period of the year.
July results were expected to be similar for the
whole island and hence not presented.

0.60

0.50

T
fi
z 0.40
.%
I
9
!$ 0.30

I
z
z 0.20

B
0.10

0.00
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Days after cutting
Fig. 3. Effect of tree cutting time on biomass drying predicted by model.
 Spatial and temporal effects in drying biomass for energy

16

14

12

i 10

B 8
‘6

i6

Final Lucrana moisture (wet basis) after one month drying, decimal

Fig. 4. Area histogram and distribution of final Lucaena moisture content.

Final Luceana Moisture

(wetbasis.kimal)
0.39- 0.42
a 0.42-0.46
3eDl 0.M - 0.50
Noarinlr
possible

Fig. 5. Final Lucaena moisture content for the Island of Kauai, Hawaii.
358 T. LIANGet al.

30 ,..-

25

Fig. 6. Area histogram and distribution of boiler efficiency using trees cut at two different dates.

Boiler Efficiency

Cm cmJari.
la-fielddry
hitill moir

Fig. 7. Boiler efficiency for the island of Kauai, Hawaii for trees cut in January.
 Spatial and temporal effects in drying biomass for energy 359

30 --

25 --

1
1 20 --

$ 15 --

e
10 --

5 --

Fig. 8. Area histogram and distribution of boiler size using trees cut at two different dates.

Boiler Relative Size 1

possible

GUIonJan.I
??
??
In-field for P
??
Initial r : 0.5
-

Fig. 9. Boiler relative size for the Island of Kauai, Hawaii for trees cut in January.
360 T. LIANGet al.
5. CONCLUSION
The economic significance of the moisture
content of biomass used for fuel is recognized.
Overlooking or inaccurately estimating this
factor when assessing biomass energy resource
could lead to serious economic errors. The
method discussed provides a procedure for
quantifying this impact. The spatial and
temporal changes on the biomass moisture
content were dulv considered. Use of this
method should improve the feasibility analysis
of biomass energy projects.
Acknowledgements-This work was partially supported by
the Solar Energy Research Institute (Contract No.
XN+19164-1) through a grant to the Hawaii Natural
Energy Institute administered by the Hawaii Natural
Energy Laboratory.
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