Traceability of bulk biomass: Application of radio frequency identification technology on a bulk pellet flow
2018 (English)In: Biomass and Bioenergy, ISSN 0961-9534, E-ISSN 1873-2909, Vol. 118, p. 149-153Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has been used since the 1950s in a wide range of applications. In the energy sector, there is a potential to use the technology to follow biomass fuels throughout a supply chain. In addition to logistic information, the RFID tags can be used to convey vital information of the fuel properties directly to the energy plant to be used at the moment of combustion. A detailed knowledge of the fuel composition at the moment it reaches the furnace can be used to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions and limit problems with fouling and slagging. In this work, RFID technology was used in three separate trials to trace wood pellets, from the production site to the furnace. In the trials, RFID tags were added to batches of pellets containing 5% or 100% peat. In this way it was possible to follow the shift in pellet quality from standard pellets (100% wood) to the pellets containing the RFID tags by monitoring the change in flue gas composition. From the results it can be concluded that RFID tags indeed can be used to convey logistic information and thus information of fuel quality parameters throughout a supply chain for wood pellets. However, work on optimization is needed to design the RFID carrier properly to mix well with the pellets as illustrated in a separate trial. Finally, an economic estimate indicates that the marginal cost to implement a RFID system would be less than 1% of the total production cost of wood pellets.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2018. Vol. 118, p. 149-153
Keywords [en]
Biomass fuel, Bulk, Combustion, Pellet, RFID, Traceability, Biomass, Cost benefit analysis, Costs, Energy efficiency, Fuels, Pelletizing, Radio waves, Supply chains, Wood, Biomass fuels, Economic estimate, Fuel compositions, Radio frequency identification technology, Total production cost, Radio frequency identification (RFID), biofuel, biomass power, chemical composition, cost analysis, economic analysis, identification method, production cost, supply chain management
National Category
Natural Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ri:diva-35592DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2018.08.018Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85052882718OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ri-35592DiVA, id: diva2:1261191
Note
Funding details: Energimyndigheten;
2018-11-062018-11-062018-11-06Bibliographically approved