A Biomass Combustion Chamber: Design, Evaluation, and a Case Study of Wheat Straw Combustion Emission Tests

TLDR

Open biomass burning is a major global source of trace gases and particulate pollutants, influencing atmospheric chemistry and climate change. The study establishes a combustion chamber to investigate crop residue emission characteristics in Northwest China, details its design and operating principles, and aims to develop emission factors for improved inventories. The chamber, equipped with a thermoanemometer, dilution sampler, and multiple sampling ports, was constructed to measure emission characteristics of crop residue combustion. Evaluation tests and a wheat‑straw combustion case study confirmed the chamber’s applicability and reproducibility, yielding emission factors comparable to previous studies.

Abstract

Open biomass burning is a significant source of trace gases and particulate pollutants on a global scale and plays an important role in both atmospheric chemistry and climate change. To study the emission characteristics of biomass burning, with a focus on crop residue combustion in Northwest China, a combustion chamber was established. This paper describes the design, structure, and operating principles of the chamber. A series of evaluation tests were conducted, demonstrating its applicability in emission studies. The combustion chamber was equipped with a thermoanemometer and a dilution sampler as well as multiple sampling ports for interfacing with different monitors. A case study of wheat straw combustion was performed to demonstrate reproducibility and comparability of the derived emission factors with prior studies. The combustion chamber may be applied to develop emission factors to update emission inventories and source profiles for improving source apportionment.