Eliminating Effect of Moisture Content in Prediction of Lower Heating Value and Ash Content in Sugarcane Leaves Biomass

Accurate assessment of biomass fuel properties is essential for quality control and fair market pricing, particularly when dealing with variable moisture content (MC) in agricultural residues. This study investigates the use of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to predict the lower heating value (LHV...

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Main Authors: Kanvisit Maraphum, Kantisa Phoomwarin, Nirattisak Khongthon, Jetsada Posom
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Energies
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3352
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author Kanvisit Maraphum
Kantisa Phoomwarin
Nirattisak Khongthon
Jetsada Posom
author_facet Kanvisit Maraphum
Kantisa Phoomwarin
Nirattisak Khongthon
Jetsada Posom
author_sort Kanvisit Maraphum
collection DOAJ
description Accurate assessment of biomass fuel properties is essential for quality control and fair market pricing, particularly when dealing with variable moisture content (MC) in agricultural residues. This study investigates the use of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to predict the lower heating value (LHV) and ash content of sugarcane leaf pellets while minimizing the interference caused by moisture variability. Sixty-two samples were scanned using an NIR spectrometer over three week-long storage periods to get different MCs with the same sample. Additionally, variable selection methods such as a genetic algorithm (GA) and moisture-related wavelength exclusion were explored. The optimal model for LHV prediction was developed using GA-PLS regression (Method II), provided a coefficient of determination (R<sup>2</sup>) of 0.80, a root mean square error of calibration (RMSEc) of 595.80 J/g, and a ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) of 1.74, indicating fair predictive performance. The ash content model showed moderate accuracy, with a maximum R<sup>2</sup> of 0.61 and an RPD of 1.40. These findings suggest that the variables selected via GA in Method II were not relevant to MC; as Method II provided the best result, this indicates a low impact of MC, which may influence model construction in the future. Moreover, the findings also highlight the potential of NIR spectroscopy, combined with appropriate spectral preprocessing and wavelength optimization, as a rapid, non-destructive tool for evaluating biomass quality, enabling more precise control in bioenergy production and biomass trading.
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spelling doaj-art-278d81b1818c44528fa5572305dd40b42025-08-20T02:35:43ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-06-011813335210.3390/en18133352Eliminating Effect of Moisture Content in Prediction of Lower Heating Value and Ash Content in Sugarcane Leaves BiomassKanvisit Maraphum0Kantisa Phoomwarin1Nirattisak Khongthon2Jetsada Posom3Department of Agricultural Machinery, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan Surin Campus, Surin 32000, ThailandDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, ThailandDepartment of Agricultural Machinery, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan Surin Campus, Surin 32000, ThailandDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, ThailandAccurate assessment of biomass fuel properties is essential for quality control and fair market pricing, particularly when dealing with variable moisture content (MC) in agricultural residues. This study investigates the use of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to predict the lower heating value (LHV) and ash content of sugarcane leaf pellets while minimizing the interference caused by moisture variability. Sixty-two samples were scanned using an NIR spectrometer over three week-long storage periods to get different MCs with the same sample. Additionally, variable selection methods such as a genetic algorithm (GA) and moisture-related wavelength exclusion were explored. The optimal model for LHV prediction was developed using GA-PLS regression (Method II), provided a coefficient of determination (R<sup>2</sup>) of 0.80, a root mean square error of calibration (RMSEc) of 595.80 J/g, and a ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) of 1.74, indicating fair predictive performance. The ash content model showed moderate accuracy, with a maximum R<sup>2</sup> of 0.61 and an RPD of 1.40. These findings suggest that the variables selected via GA in Method II were not relevant to MC; as Method II provided the best result, this indicates a low impact of MC, which may influence model construction in the future. Moreover, the findings also highlight the potential of NIR spectroscopy, combined with appropriate spectral preprocessing and wavelength optimization, as a rapid, non-destructive tool for evaluating biomass quality, enabling more precise control in bioenergy production and biomass trading.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3352biomasspelletmoisture contenttime storagevariable selectionlower heating value
spellingShingle Kanvisit Maraphum
Kantisa Phoomwarin
Nirattisak Khongthon
Jetsada Posom
Eliminating Effect of Moisture Content in Prediction of Lower Heating Value and Ash Content in Sugarcane Leaves Biomass
Energies
biomass
pellet
moisture content
time storage
variable selection
lower heating value
title Eliminating Effect of Moisture Content in Prediction of Lower Heating Value and Ash Content in Sugarcane Leaves Biomass
title_full Eliminating Effect of Moisture Content in Prediction of Lower Heating Value and Ash Content in Sugarcane Leaves Biomass
title_fullStr Eliminating Effect of Moisture Content in Prediction of Lower Heating Value and Ash Content in Sugarcane Leaves Biomass
title_full_unstemmed Eliminating Effect of Moisture Content in Prediction of Lower Heating Value and Ash Content in Sugarcane Leaves Biomass
title_short Eliminating Effect of Moisture Content in Prediction of Lower Heating Value and Ash Content in Sugarcane Leaves Biomass
title_sort eliminating effect of moisture content in prediction of lower heating value and ash content in sugarcane leaves biomass
topic biomass
pellet
moisture content
time storage
variable selection
lower heating value
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3352
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AT kantisaphoomwarin eliminatingeffectofmoisturecontentinpredictionoflowerheatingvalueandashcontentinsugarcaneleavesbiomass
AT nirattisakkhongthon eliminatingeffectofmoisturecontentinpredictionoflowerheatingvalueandashcontentinsugarcaneleavesbiomass
AT jetsadaposom eliminatingeffectofmoisturecontentinpredictionoflowerheatingvalueandashcontentinsugarcaneleavesbiomass