| Abstract
| - Equilibrium calculations of three problems regarding biomass combustion, at various levels ofsophistication, were performed at six laboratories using seven combinations of computer programsand databases. The objective was to test the adequacy of the programs and databases forcalculating both condensed and gas-phase behavior. The first problem was a simplified calculationfor the combustion of a woodlike material with added sulfur to possibly form an ideal moltensalt solution of potassium and calcium sulfate. The second and third problems were to simulateaspen wood and wheat straw combustion, respectively, and required a relatively sophisticateddatabase on high-temperature solutions to describe condensed phases. All the participantsperformed calculations of the gas phases, which were reasonably accurate when their databaseswere adequate. For problem I, most of the participants were also able to calculate a reasonableset of condensed phases. However, for problems II and III, only four of the participants, usingthe two most sophisticated computer programs and databases, had the ability to produce rationalresults for the condensed phases. This round robin identified two computer programs and theirassociated databases that could prove useful for calculating the condensed-phase equilibriumchemistry of biomass combustion when coupled with experimental programs and the capabilityto expand databases as new experimental data become available. Such calculations can greatlyenhance our understanding of the total equilibrium chemistry of biomass combustion.
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