Breakage Strength of Wood Sawdust Pellets: Measurements and Modelling
Wood pellets are an important source of renewable energy. Their mechanical strength is a crucial property. In this study, the tensile strength of pellets made from oak, pine, and birch sawdust with moisture contents of 8% and 20% compacted at 60 and 120 MPa was determined in a diametral compression...
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| Language: | English |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/12/3273 |
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| author | Józef Horabik Maciej Bańda Grzegorz Józefaciuk Agnieszka Adamczuk Cezary Polakowski Mateusz Stasiak Piotr Parafiniuk Joanna Wiącek Rafał Kobyłka Marek Molenda |
| author_facet | Józef Horabik Maciej Bańda Grzegorz Józefaciuk Agnieszka Adamczuk Cezary Polakowski Mateusz Stasiak Piotr Parafiniuk Joanna Wiącek Rafał Kobyłka Marek Molenda |
| author_sort | Józef Horabik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wood pellets are an important source of renewable energy. Their mechanical strength is a crucial property. In this study, the tensile strength of pellets made from oak, pine, and birch sawdust with moisture contents of 8% and 20% compacted at 60 and 120 MPa was determined in a diametral compression test. The highest tensile strength was noted for oak and the lowest for birch pellets. For all materials, the tensile strength was the highest for a moisture content of 8% and 120 MPa. All pellets exhibited a ductile breakage mode characterised by a smooth and round stress–deformation relationship without any sudden drops. Discrete element method (DEM) simulations were performed to check for the possibility of numerical reproduction of pelletisation of the sawdust and then of the pellet deformation in the diametral compression test. The pellet breakage process was successfully simulated using the DEM implemented with the bonded particle model. The simulations reproduced the results of laboratory testing well and provided deeper insight into particle–particle bonding mechanisms. Cracks were initiated close to the centre of the pellet and, as the deformation progressed, they further developed in the direction of loading. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:26:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-efe20ab62d27495fa230d4e4f983c58f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:26:51Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-efe20ab62d27495fa230d4e4f983c58f2023-11-21T23:59:23ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442021-06-011412327310.3390/ma14123273Breakage Strength of Wood Sawdust Pellets: Measurements and ModellingJózef Horabik0Maciej Bańda1Grzegorz Józefaciuk2Agnieszka Adamczuk3Cezary Polakowski4Mateusz Stasiak5Piotr Parafiniuk6Joanna Wiącek7Rafał Kobyłka8Marek Molenda9Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, PolandInstitute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, PolandInstitute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, PolandInstitute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, PolandInstitute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, PolandInstitute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, PolandInstitute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, PolandInstitute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, PolandInstitute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, PolandInstitute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, PolandWood pellets are an important source of renewable energy. Their mechanical strength is a crucial property. In this study, the tensile strength of pellets made from oak, pine, and birch sawdust with moisture contents of 8% and 20% compacted at 60 and 120 MPa was determined in a diametral compression test. The highest tensile strength was noted for oak and the lowest for birch pellets. For all materials, the tensile strength was the highest for a moisture content of 8% and 120 MPa. All pellets exhibited a ductile breakage mode characterised by a smooth and round stress–deformation relationship without any sudden drops. Discrete element method (DEM) simulations were performed to check for the possibility of numerical reproduction of pelletisation of the sawdust and then of the pellet deformation in the diametral compression test. The pellet breakage process was successfully simulated using the DEM implemented with the bonded particle model. The simulations reproduced the results of laboratory testing well and provided deeper insight into particle–particle bonding mechanisms. Cracks were initiated close to the centre of the pellet and, as the deformation progressed, they further developed in the direction of loading.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/12/3273sawdust pelletsdiametral compression testtensile strengthbonded particle model |
| spellingShingle | Józef Horabik Maciej Bańda Grzegorz Józefaciuk Agnieszka Adamczuk Cezary Polakowski Mateusz Stasiak Piotr Parafiniuk Joanna Wiącek Rafał Kobyłka Marek Molenda Breakage Strength of Wood Sawdust Pellets: Measurements and Modelling Materials sawdust pellets diametral compression test tensile strength bonded particle model |
| title | Breakage Strength of Wood Sawdust Pellets: Measurements and Modelling |
| title_full | Breakage Strength of Wood Sawdust Pellets: Measurements and Modelling |
| title_fullStr | Breakage Strength of Wood Sawdust Pellets: Measurements and Modelling |
| title_full_unstemmed | Breakage Strength of Wood Sawdust Pellets: Measurements and Modelling |
| title_short | Breakage Strength of Wood Sawdust Pellets: Measurements and Modelling |
| title_sort | breakage strength of wood sawdust pellets measurements and modelling |
| topic | sawdust pellets diametral compression test tensile strength bonded particle model |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/12/3273 |
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