Journal of Agricultural Engineering
  • Year: 2021
  • Volume: 58
  • Issue: 2

Potential of Pine Needle Biomass as an Alternative Fuel to Mitigate Forest Fire in Uttarakhand Himalayas - A Review

  • Author:
  • Padam Singh1, T. P. Singh2, Rajat Kumar Sharma3, Yogesh Kumar Negi4, Ramesh Pal5
  • Total Page Count: 12
  • Page Number: 192 to 203

1Ph.D- Scholar, Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, School of Agricultural Sciences & Engineering, IFTM University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh

2Professor and Head, Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, G.B.P.U.A&T, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand

3Ph.D. Scholar Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, G.B.P.U.A&T, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand

4Assistant Professor, College of Forestry, VCSG UUHF, Ranichauri, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

5Assistant Professor, School of Agricultural Sciences & Engineering, IFTM, University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh.

*Corresponding author email address: padamsingh1990@gmail.co

Online published on 27 January, 2022.

Abstract

Pine needle is a typical biomass which is abundantly available in Uttarakhand hills. This shredded biomass contributes significantly in forest fire occurring regularly in Uttarakhand. Different energy harnessing routes as direct combustion, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, gasification, and briquetting for pine needles were reviewed. These routes were further compared on the basis of energy consumption and energy efficiency of the process as per the available literature. The review suggested that briquetting of pine needles and its anaerobic digestion are two most energy efficient methods having energy efficiency of 88% and 41.6% respectively. The estimated energy required for briquetting of 1 ton pine needle was 1370.5 MJ whereas for gasification it was 1170 MJ.

Keywords

Briquetting, Biomass, Forest fire, Gasification, Energy efficiency, Pine needles