3-05: Pipeline transport of agricultural biomass – experimental results

One of the major barriers to the realization of large scale bio-refineries is the high biomass transport cost by truck.  Pipeline transportation is an ideal approach for moving aqueous based biomass materials to a processing plant, while taking the advantage of economy of scale. Pipeline transport also helps in reducing the road congestion. The concept includes chopping of the agricultural biomass (straw and corn stover), classification of the biomass based on particle size, mixing of the classified biomass with water to form slurry, and pumping of this biomass slurry through pipeline. Pressure drop is a key mechanical parameter of interest, as it determines the number of boosting stations required through pipeline and also directly affects the cost of transportation. This paper presents the results of experimental work on transportation of biomass slurry through a designed pipeline on a laboratory scale. Utilizing wheat straw and corn stover as feedstock and making slurries, while keeping the rest of variables (e.g. pipeline length and diameter, slurry temperature and velocity, average particle size) constant, the slurries are pumped individually.  Impact of particle size, concentration of slurry, type of feedstock on the pressure drop in the pipeline and hence on the pumping power are measured in a 2 inch pipeline. The results would help in understanding behavior of the slurry in a pipeline and the economic implication of this for delivery of biomass to a bio-based refinery.