BIOMASS DEFINITIONS AND CONVERTIONS

ASH

ash content is expressed in weight% on dry base

with specific mention, it can be expressed "as received"
relation:

wt%

ash content (wt%dry) = ash content (wt%ar)*100/(100-water content (wt%))

ash dry
water content
ash as received

14.11765 wt%
15 wt%
12 wt%

WATER

water content in weight %, on wet base, as received

be aware of water losses between taking the sample and analysing the sample

VOLATILES
FIXED CARBON

amount volatiles is expressed as weight % dry material

with specific mention, it can be expressed as weight %"as received" or weight%"ash free material
relations
fixed C on dry base = 100 - ash (dry base) - volatiles (dry base)
fixed C on dry and ash free base = 100 - volatiles (dry ash free base)
fixed C as received = 100 - ash (as received) - water content - volatiles (dry base)

ELEMENT ANALISIS

energetic interesting elements are expressed as weight% dry, weight% dry and ash free or weight % as
these elements are:
carbon
C
hydrogen H
oxygen
O
nitrogen N
sulphur
S
chlorine Cl
fluorine F
bromine Br
on dry
dry and ash free
as received

C + H + O + N + S + Cl + F + Br + ash = 100
C + H + O + N + S + Cl + F + Br = 100
C + H + O + N + S + Cl + F + Br + ash + water content = 100

if oxygen is not measured, the content will be consided as making up to 100%,

CALORIC VALUE

expressed as HHV (higher heating value) or LHV (lower heating value)

The difference is caused by the heat of evaporation of the water formed from the hydrogen in the mat

MILNE FORMULA

the Milne formula is used for calculating the HHV

HHV = 0,341 C + 1,322 H - 0,12 O - 0,12 N + 0,0686 S - 0,0153 ash
with C,H etc are expressed in weight % dry, heating value in MJ/kg
moisture content or humidity is expressed as weight% as received
element analisis:

carbon

wt%

hydrogen
oxygen
nitrogen
sulphur
ash

H
O
N
S

HHV

wt%
wt%
wt%
wt%
wt%
0 MJ/kg

water content
relations

HHV as received

wt%
= HHV dry * (1 - water content/100)
0

LHVar
water content
LHV dry
LHV at moisture content of

15000
0
15000
10 w%

13499.76

ater content (wt%))

t%"ash free material

nd ash free or weight % as received

m the hydrogen in the material and the water content.

MJ/kg

palmitic acid
stearic acid
oleic acid
linoleic acid

P
S
O
L

glycerol

combinations

P-G
S-G
O-G
PP-G
SS-G
OO-G
PS-G
PO-G
SO-G
PPP-G
SSS-G
OOO-G
POP-G
PSP-G
POS-G
POO-G
PSS-G

# C # H # O Mol weight mol fraction C mol fraction H mol fraction O

16 32 2
256.4276
74.9436%
12.5777%
12.4787%
18 36 2
284.4812
75.9973%
12.7546%
11.2481%
18 34 2
282.4654
76.5396%
12.1320%
11.3284%
18 32 2
280.4496
77.0898%
11.5004%
11.4098%
3

92.0944

39.1262%

8.7554%

52.1185%

19
21
21
35
39
39
37
37
39
51
57
57
55
53
55
55
55

38
42
42
68
76
72
72
70
74
98
110
104
104
102
104
102
106

4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6

330.5068
358.5604
358.5604
568.9192
625.0264
620.9948
596.9728
594.9570
623.0106
807.3316
891.4924
885.4450
861.4230
835.3852
861.4230
859.4072
863.4388

69.0482%
70.3455%
70.3455%
73.8919%
74.9455%
75.4320%
74.4434%
74.6957%
75.1880%
75.8748%
76.7956%
77.3201%
76.6876%
76.2023%
76.6876%
76.8675%
76.5086%

11.5883%
11.8060%
11.8060%
12.0469%
12.2555%
11.6859%
12.1561%
11.8585%
11.9716%
12.2347%
12.4363%
11.8383%
12.1684%
12.3064%
12.1684%
11.9624%
12.3735%

19.3635%
17.8485%
17.8485%
14.0612%
12.7990%
12.8821%
13.4004%
13.4458%
12.8404%
11.8906%
10.7681%
10.8416%
11.1439%
11.4913%
11.1439%
11.1701%
11.1179%

HHV

atomic weight
40686.08902
41426.86364
40779.06575
40121.95546

kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg

18662.39359 kJ/kg
36541.58444
37453.57786
37453.57786
39435.79746
40222.36146
39625.22755
39847.56099
39534.65763
39924.76054
40620.63536
41335.97291
40715.39104
40899.87059
40875.09602
40899.87059
40685.71971
41113.02154

kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg
kJ/kg

C
H
O

12.011
1.0079
15.9994