PSI - Issue 77

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2026) 000 – 000 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect

www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

ScienceDirect

Procedia Structural Integrity 77 (2026) 143–151

© 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers Abstract The structural integrity of small-scale biomass combustion chambers is significantly influenced by thermal stresses, particulate deposition, and material degradation. Particulate matter (PM) emissions from small-scale pellet boilers pose significant challenges in air quality management. The spatial distribution of PM and temperature within the combustion chamber, focusing on their relationship, is explored in this study. By employing a supplementary flue gas extraction system, PM dispersion in three central planes above a retort burner was characterized, and its correlation with thermal gradients was analyzed. PM concentrations and temperature values were measured at 25 distinct points per plane, allowing for a detailed analysis of their spatial relationship. Considerable variations in PM concentration across different regions of the combustion chamber were revealed by the results, with peak values exceeding 40 mg/m 3 , particularly in areas of high localized temperature gradients exceeding 800°C. The temperature to-PM ratio, a novel parameter introduced in this study, was calculated with an average value of 25.45 and a standard error of 5.26, providing insight into combustion uniformity. The findings emphasize that uneven thermal loading can affect particulate matter formation, potentially leading to fouling and material deterioration within combustion systems. This has direct implications for design optimization, durability enhancement, and maintenance strategies in small-scale biomass boilers. These findings are crucial for design optimization and failure prevention in biomass combustion systems. © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) International Conference on Structural Integrity In-depth analysis of particulates and temperature within a small scale pellet combustion chamber Alexander Backa a, *, Radovan Nosek b , Nikola Čajová Kantová a , Róbert Cibula a a Research Centre, University of Žilina, Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina Slovakia b Department of Power Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Žilina, Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina S lovakia

Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers Keywords: Particulate Matter, Temperature effect, Pellet boiler

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +421 41 513 7610. E-mail address: alexander.backa@uniza.sk

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2026.01.020