Biomass Technology

Biomass as a form of energy has been largely overlooked since the introduction of fossil fuels. However, with the continuing trend in the increase of oil and gas prices, and the carbon emissions associated with their use, biomass technology is now been looked at again with a more serious and long term intention. Biomass technology can cover many different aspects of energy production. For example, this can include turning biomass into a gas to run a generator to produce electricity or processing biomass into liquid fuels suitable for transportation. However, transporting raw biomass materials to this processing sites is very expensive, and generates a lot or emissions. Therefore firstly upgrading the biomass into pellets for transportation means more biomass can be transported each time, reducing costs and carbon output. The pellets are also used as a biomass technology for a convenient heating fuel for pellet stoves and boilers. Pellets have many advantages.

Biomass Energy and Biomass Fuel Pellet

A pellet is simply a compressed form of the original biomass material. And though it maybe a relatively simple form of biomass technology, it produces many advantages to biomass handling, transportation and combustion results. During combustion in pellet form the biomass achieves a more complete burn at higher temperatures which produces less smoke and particulates. This means less air pollution and also more heat from the same fuel compared to burning unprocessed biomass. The most common use of a biomass pellet is for home heating appliances such as pellet stoves and boilers. The most common grade of pellet fuel is currently premium grade fuel pellets, producing the lowest ash content of any pellet. However, as the pellet market continues to develop, a wider range of biomass fuel pellets will enter the market. For example more agricultural residues such as straw will be used in stoves and boilers. There is literally thousands of different biomass materials which can be used to produce pellet fuel for pellet stoves.

Biomass Boilers and Pellet Burners

The specific benefit of pellet burning technology is automation and efficiency, getting the most amount of energy from the fuel possible while reducing manual maintenance requirements. To this end, pellet combustion technology includes auger feed combustion zones from hoppers which can hold a day or days worth of fuel. With fuel stores it is possible to hold a years worth of fuel. Pellet technology is computer controlled. The computer controls fan speed and auger speed to achieve maximum combustion, and heat on demand. The computer can be influenced by a standard wall thermostat. Some more advanced wood pellet stoves can even be remotely operated via mobile phone. Pellet burning technology can bring  lower maintaince solid fuel burning back into the home.

Biomass Pellet Plant and The Pellet Mill

The Wood Pellet Production Guide © PelHeat Ltd - Biomass Technology