[Stoves] Biomass testing questions

[frank]

Stovers,

I have been experimenting with testing biomass to get the following values:

Water
Volatile Matter (HO)
Volatile Matter (N)
Volatile Matter (organic C)
Fixed Matter (H)
Fixed Matter (N)
Fixed Matter (organic C)
Ash (soluble fraction)
Ash (non-soluble fraction)
Particle Density

The fuel is first dried then charred at 400 deg C then ashed at 550 deg. 
C and then the ash is acid washed to get the soluble ash (carbonates) 
fraction.
The dry and char sample is run through the Leco to get carbon and 
nitrogen. Sand or mercury is used to get particle density.

Questions:
1) If I test the char for carbon and nitrogen can I assume the rest to 
be hydrogen and that there is no oxygen left in the char?
2) Has anyone tested for oxygen in biomass by making char (400 deg C) 
while purging with nitrogen gas and measuring oxygen in the gas stream 
using an O2 sensor?
3) Can we (should we) assume most all ash free biomass to have 6% 
hydrogen? So I can determine the amount of hydrogen in the volatile HO 
fraction (subtract from that in the char) and then have both the Oxygen 
and hydrogen values?  Or is that stretching the guessing a little too much?

Thanks
Frank







-- 
Frank Shields
Soil Control Lab
42 Hangar way
Watsonville, CA  95076
(831) 724-5422 tel
(831) 724-3188 fax
frank at compostlab.com
www.compostlab.com