An investigation of biomass grindability

The main objective of the research was to develop a method of biomass grindability determination (Biomass Grindability Index), which would allow for a clear classification of different types of solid biofuels in terms of their milling properties. The objective of the research included also the assessment of the possibility of adaptation of the existing coal grindability determination methods for evaluation of biomass milling. In the course of research, the biomass grindability determination method was modified to obtain the highest possible reliability of the developed index. The scope of laboratory tests being focused on influence of circumferential speed of test mill beaters, particle size distribution of sample, test time, mass and volume of sample. The results of laboratory and industrial tests have shown that the grindability index based on mean particle sizes of feed and product is unreliable. Grindability of different types of biomass, comminuted in beater mills, can be clearly determined by the index expressed as the ratio of energy consumption during the test to the amount of specified product size fraction. During the study laboratory test results obtained for proposed grindability index were compared to other grindability indices determined for utilized in research types of biomass.