Virginia Tech
Evaluating the use of renewable fuel sources to heat flue-cured tobacco barns
Abstract
dc:description.abstractThe curing of flue-cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is an energy intensive process and represents a significant portion of the overall cost of production. Given the goal of the industry to reduce the environmental footprint of tobacco production and the energy demand of curing, attention has been directed to explore options for the use of renewable fuels for heating tobacco barns. A two-year study conducted at the Virginia Tech Southern Piedmont Center evaluated the effectiveness and cost of curing flue-cured tobacco with a wood pellet burner. Additionally, field studies were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of on-farm production of biomass fuel crops as well as on-farm manufacture of biomass fuel pellets. The first time use of a wood pellet burner with an air-to-air heat exchanger in a bulk curing barn proved to be a viable alternative to a conventional propane fueled burner. Curing cost averaged $0.05 with the pellet burner compared to $0.04 per kilogram of tobacco with the propane burner. The increase in cost was offset by a 90 percent reduction of CO2 emissions with the use of wood pellets. The use of low lignin grass varieties did have an impact on biomass pellet properties. Pellet testing revealed high ash and chloride levels which could be problematic using a high efficiency wood pellet burner. Full maturity harvest of annual grasses fertilized with 112 kg per ha N resulted in higher yields. However, fertilizing for maximum yield would increase the CO2 footprint for biomass fuel pellet production.
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- Master of Science
- Level thesis:degree_level
- masters
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences
- Department dc:contributor.department
- Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences
- Grantor dc:publisher
- Virginia Tech
- Year dc:date.issued
- 2018
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Brown, Robert T.
- Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
-
- Reed, T. David
- Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
-
- Teutsch, Christopher D.
- Ignosh, John
Subjects
dc:subject × 4Rights
dc:rights- Statement dc:rights
-
- In Copyright
- Licence dc:rights.uri
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- Dc Identifier Other
- vt_gsexam:14517
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/82554