EVALUATION OF TECHNOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS OF ARTEMISIA DUBIA PLANT BIOMASS UTILIZATION FOR ENERGY CONVERSION

Abstract

The studies of growing and harvesting large-stemmed plants Artemisia dubia (wormwood) have been carried out at Vėžaičiai Branch LAMMC. There were determined the influence of growing conditions, nitrogen application level and harvesting time to the Artemisia dubia productivity. The article also provides the results of research on processing and use of Artemisia dubia biomass for energy conversion. At the beginning harvested plants were chopped, milled and pressed into the pellets, and were determined pellet physical, technical, chemical and environmental parameters, such as moisture content, density, elemental composition, ash content, calorific value, emissions after biofuel burning. Research results showed, that the production and burning process of this type of biofuel is characterized by sufficiently high quality, efficient combustion and permissible emissions into the environment. Research results of determined physical properties, cоmbustion and emissiоns after burning of Artemisia dubia pellets show, that they can be used for production and usage for pressed biofuel.