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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mississippi State, Mississippi » Poultry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #246033
Title: Application of 3D Scanned Imaging Methodology for Volume, Surface Area, and Envelope Density Evaluation of Densified Biomass

Author
item IGATHINATHANE, C - Mississippi State University
item DAVIS, J - Mississippi State University
item Purswell, Joseph - Jody
item COLUMBUS, E - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Bioresource Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/29/2009
Publication Date: 2/4/2010
Citation: Igathinathane, C., Davis, J.D., Purswell, J.L., Columbus, E.P. 2010. Application of 3D Scanned Imaging Methodology for Volume, Surface Area, and Envelope Density Evaluation of Densified Biomass. Bioresource Technology. 101 pp 4220-4227.

Interpretive Summary: Measurement of surface area, volume, and density is an essential for quantifying, evaluating, and designing the biomass densification, storage, and transport operations. Acquiring accurate and repeated measurements of these paramaters for hygroscopic densified biomass are not straightforward and only a few methods are available. A 3D laser scanner was used as a measurement device with cotton gin trash briquettes, switchgrass pellets, switchgrass cubes, hardwood pellets, and softwood chips as test materials. 3D images were analyzed to determine physical properties of the materials and accuracy obtained was within 2%. Physical property determination using the 3D scanning and image analysis physical property determination methodology is non-destructive, accurate, and highly repeatable

Technical Abstract: Measurement of surface area, volume, and density is an essential for quantifying, evaluating, and designing the biomass densification, storage, and transport operations. Acquiring accurate and repeated measurements of these parameters for hygroscopic densified biomass are not straightforward and only a few methods are available. A 3D laser scanner was used as a measurement device and the 3D images were analyzed using image processing software. The validity of the method was verified using reference objects of known geometry and the accuracy obtained was in excess of 98%. Cotton gin trash briquettes, switchgrass pellets, switchgrass cubes, hardwood pellets, and softwood chips were the test materials. Most accurate results of the surface area and volume required the highest possible resolution of the scanner, which increased the total scan-process times, and image file size. Physical property determination using the 3D scanning and image analysis physical property determination methodology is an alternative, non-invasive, accurate, and is highly repeatable (coefficient of variation < 0.3%). The various limitations and merits of the developed method were also enumerated.