The quality of wood fuels affects fuel trading, transport costs and, at the plant, the handling of fuels and combustion process. Moisture is the significant factor in the quality of energy wood since it affects the calorific value of fuel and thus the energy content of the fuel load. Therefore, fuel pricing is based on the moisture content of the fuel. It can be determined using either a moisture determination standard or another moisture measurement method, if they are equivalent with the standard. A quality measurement system based on X-ray scanning is, as the name implies, a method of measuring fuel quality that provides many benefits in addition to determining moisture. We have listed in total eight facts that change in the operation of the plant when utilizing X-ray. This article presents the two of them.
3. Realtime
The notion of realtime time today is strongly a matter of opinion: for one, realtime can mean seconds, while for another it means the next day. In the current quality measurement method, time is spent first on sampling, after which the moisture value is obtained in the laboratory for analysis at the earliest in a day and with a rapid moisture meter during the same day. The challenge of the method is its slowness, which means that the fuel load may already be in combustion before its content is found out. Inray’s FUELCONTROL ® system provides a realtime online view for tracking fuel deliveries, through which quality information is immediately available to power plants. The data can be used to react quickly to unexpected and recurring problems, take proactive measures for even poor quality fuels, and achieve better combustion management with real-time moisture measurement.
4. Working hours is released to more productive work
All sampling methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive since they always require more or less work from drivers, operators and possibly laboratory staff. Sampling always involves the following steps:
- sampling
- sample processing
- initial weighing
- oven
- final weighing
- input of moisture content results to the system
- preserving the dried sample for calorific value determination
- sending samples for calorific value analysis
- input of calorific value results to the system
In manual sampling, the sampler both takes the sample and takes it to the laboratory and possibly further analyzes it. In automatic sampling, the sampling device does take a sample, but it only reduces one step from the sampling. When measured by X-ray, no samples are taken, but the measurement takes place directly from the conveyor. This does not require work from the driver, operator or laboratory staff, but frees up working hours for more productive work.
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