Biomass Biofuel

How we are going to generate sufficient amounts of energy to power our cars and homes, and provide heating is of concern to many. There are several different forms of biomass biofuel which can help to provide part of the solution. Biomass biofuel can take the form of liquid, gaseous and solid fuels. Here we will focus specifically on solid biomass biofuel. Biomass is already a form of solid fuel. For example, the basic wood log has been used for heating for thousands of years. This issue is in the 21st century this type of biomass solid fuel simply cannot meet modern requirements of efficiency and connivances. Many people today still have a basic log stove which they use to heat they main living space, but very rarely is it the sole form of heating due to fuel consumption and maintenance required to constantly feed and clean the fire. Also, basic log burning does generate a lot of smoke. The reason is most logs burnt still contain a lot of moisture which reduces combustion efficiency and generates a lot of smoke and particulates.

Biomass Bioenergy and Alternative Fuel

So the current natural forms of solid biomass fuel are just not suitable as a main source of heating. Therefore some form of processing is required. Though biomass can be processed into gaseous or liquid fuel similar to those currently used in gas and oil boilers. The energy inputs required to do so, currently just don't make sense. The lowest energy input process to form an efficient biomass fuel is to upgrade the biomass into a pellet fuel. A pellet is a highly compressed version of the original raw biomass material. Combined with a low moisture content and increased energy density, the fuel burns much cleaner while generating much more usable heat. Currently, as you would expect wood pellet fuel is the market leader, however this is not the only form of biomass that can be compressed into a pellet fuel. For example, in the search for more productive energy crops, various biomass resources are promoted for energy use. For instance miscanthus or elephant grass is one biomass material heavily promoted around Europe. However, again miscanthus in its raw form is not an ideal fuel, and upgrading into pellet fuel give the resource the fuel potential it needs.

Biomass Burning and Biomass Boilers

So once a biomass biofuel is produced in pellet form, how can those pellets be used to generate energy. Well they can be used in a open fire, however this is not really taking full advantage of the opportunities pellets bring. As pellets flow like a liquid, hopper and feed systems can be designed to use the pellets automatically to feed the fire to achieve the desired temperature set by the user. Automatic pellet burners come in the form of stoves and boilers, which is more appropriate will be based on the volume of space that needs to be heated, with stoves for smaller spaces.

Biomass Pellet Mill and Pellet Machines

The Wood Pellet Production Guide © PelHeat Ltd - Biomass Biofuel