The Energetic evaluation of technologies for fuel preparation from grass plants

Abstract

The technologies of growing, harvesting and preparing for fuel traditional feed type grasses (the mix of cereal and legume grasses) and coarse-stemmed vegetative plants (topinambours and sunflowers) were evaluated and a rational technique was selected. The methods of energetic evaluation of fuel preparation technologies were reviewed. After energetic evaluation of the technologies it was estimated that the total energy input of growing and harvesting grasses and legumes was equal to 8334 MJ ha-1, topinambour stems – 14378 MJ ha-1 and sunflower stems – 11324 MJ ha-1 respectively. The total energy lower thaninput of growing and harvesting of traditional grasses was by 72 lower than the energy input required forthat of topinambour stems and by 36 fuel production from sunflower stems. From an energetic perspective, the technology of fuel preparation from traditional grasses is more advantageous than the technologies of fuel preparation from coarse-stemmed plants, specifically topinambour and sunflower stems.