You are here:
Influence of Combustion Factors on Biomass Emissions
Citation:
Aurell, J., A. Holder, AND B. Gullett. Influence of Combustion Factors on Biomass Emissions. The Fire Continuum Conference, Missoula,MT, May 21 - 24, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
This presentation presents information showing that emission factors vary with the quality or nature of the burn. Methods are demonstrated on biomass burns to vary the burn quality and subsequently the resultant emission factors. The impact would be that burn practices (how the burn is conducted) can significantly affect the amount of pollution formed.
Description:
The effect of combustion quality on the character of emissions from wildland fires remains relatively unknown. While “good” combustion is expected to minimize emissions, this remains minimally documented. As a consequence, emission factors, or the amount of a pollutant per amount of biomass burned, are typically quantified in terms of “flaming” and “smoldering” modes. Recent research is starting to define this continuum of emission type and quantity versus combustion quality, commonly measured by a “modified combustion efficiency,” or MCE. Inclusion of this more robust fire quality and emissions relationship