Carbonization gases as an energy source for Eucalyptus logs drying of different diameter classes in metallic dryer

Angélica de Cássia Oliveira Carneiro; Marco Tulio Cardoso; Antonio Jose Vinha Zanuncio; Emanuele Graciosa Pereira; Ana Marcia Macedo Ladeira Carvalho; Marcio Arêdes Martins; Dandara Paula da Silva Guimarães; Evanderson Luis Capelete Evangelista; Vinícius Resende de Castro; Amélia Guimarães Carvalho; Solange de Oliveira Araujo

doi:10.53661/1806-9088202448263784

Authors

Angélica de Cássia Oliveira Carneiro Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Viçosa, MG, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8361-1565
Marco Tulio Cardoso Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Doutorado em Ciência Florestal, Viçosa, MG, Brasil https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8475-2366
Antonio Jose Vinha Zanuncio Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Monte Carmelo, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5145-4027
Emanuele Graciosa Pereira Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Doutorado em Engenharia Agrícola, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2642-312X
Ana Marcia Macedo Ladeira Carvalho Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5883-8987
Marcio Arêdes Martins Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5705-9431
Dandara Paula da Silva Guimarães Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência Florestal, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4969-6590
Evanderson Luis Capelete Evangelista Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência Florestal, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6807-916X
Vinícius Resende de Castro Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2455-3166
Amélia Guimarães Carvalho Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Monte Carmelo, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0758-315X
Solange de Oliveira Araujo Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Lisboa, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6100-5353

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53661/1806-9088202448263784

Keywords:

Moisture content, Charcoal, Sustainability, Thermal efficiency

Abstract

The wood carbonization with high moisture content reduces the yield, prolongs the carbonization time and results in charcoal with low mechanical strength. Considering this, the reuse of carbonization gases as a source of thermal energy becomes a potential alternative for reducing moisture content quickly and feasibly. The objective of this study was to evaluate the artificial drying of logs using gases from the carbonization system of a furnace and a drying chamber. The drying evaluation was conducted in duplicate using a 35 m³ galvanized metal square dryer and a furnace with a useful volume capacity of 16.8 m³. The average gas intake temperature for drying was 150°C. The eucalyptus logs were divided into three diameter classes (8-14 cm; 14-22 cm; 8-22 cm). The electricity consumption of the dryer was approximately 49.4 kW per ton of wood (dry mass). The highest thermal efficiency was achieved in the drying of 8-14 cm diameter class logs. The utilization of carbonization gases proved to be effective in reducing wood moisture in all diameter classes, showing potential for large scale utilization.

Keywords: Moisture content, Charcoal, Sustainability, Thermal efficiency