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Biomass BiofuelsA wide range of alternative sources of energy can be produced through using biomass to produce biofuels. There are a wide range of biomass energy products which can be referred to as biofuels. Biomass can be processed in to gaseous, liquid and solid forms of energy. Gaseous biomass biofuels can be used to power generators to produce electricity, or burned directly to generate heat. Liquid biomass biofuels can be produced to be used as transportation fuels, for cars and even jet fuel for planes. Biomass liquid biofuels can be produced from corn, rape seed and algae to name but a few. However, yields from algae production are much more productive than corn for example, and do not impact on food prices. Biomass can also be processed into solid biofuels such as pellets. Pellets are predominantly used as a heating fuel for homes and businesses. However biomass is also often processed into pellets to be transported to other process plants, to be made into liquid or gaseous biofuels. The reasons for this are that much more biomass can be transported per time due to the increased density of the pellets. Therefore this also reduces the transportation costs of moving biomass. Biomass Biofuel and Solid Biomass Fuel As shown, biomass can be made into a variety of biofuels, however pellets are often at the start of all biomass biofuel processes. A pellet is simply a compressed form of the biomass. Through compression an increased bulk and energy density is achieved. Also, during the pellet production process, most of the water from the biomass is removed during drying. This gives the pellets a much higher calorific heat value. With a lower moisture content and increased density means pellets burn much more efficiently than the original biomass material. Biomass Boiler Advantages Using Pellets In a compressed pellet form, the biomass can be used in modern and advanced solid fuel pellet combustion systems. Pellet stoves and pellet boilers can use pellet fuel in a highly automated fashion, to create minimal maintenance with maximum efficiency. Automated pellet burners have a hopper which can hold at least a days worth of fuel. Through computer control of an auger feed system, the correct number of pellets to reach the required temperature can be fed into the burn chamber. Therefore pellet stoves and pellet boilers can be controlled via thermostat. Biomass Costs In Fuel Pellet Production To produce biomass biofuels such as fuel pellets, requires a combination of skills, experience, equipment knowledge and the right equipment. Each piece of pellet production equipment is suited to different raw materials. Material density plays a large role in the type of equipment that can be used. For example there is a difference in density of say wheat straw and hardwood. Due to this difference in density, only some pellet mills can actually process wood into pellet fuel, where others simply don't have enough power, or operate at the incorrect speed. Other factors such as moisture play a key role. Even a half a percent change in moisture can effect power consumption by around 30%, which does add up. |
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The Wood Pellet Production Guide © PelHeat Ltd - Biomass Biofuels |
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