Wood Biomass

There are many different types of biomass, however wood is the most commonly referred to source of biomass as an energy source. Wood has been used for energy production for thousands of years, however for the last century, fossil fuels have taken centre stage as the many energy source. However now due to costs of fossil fuels and the environmental impact. Wood and biomass in general, is now having a revival. Now when many people think of using wood for energy, they simply think of the log fire, however modern wood energy is far beyond this. Even to the point where wood can be processed into liquid fuels, to produce ethanol, bio-diesel and even jet fuel. This means we can keep much of our current infrastructure, our cars and planes and just use another fuel sourced from green energy resources. There is a lot of talk about turning travel all electric, however the problems with this are as follows. To change all vehicles and planes would require a lot time which we don't have, and also a lot of energy which would still be sourced from fossil fuels. Instead of jumping straight in to electric vehicles, which are still relatively basic, liquid fuels from biomass can be used to bridge the gap.

Biomass Wood and Alternative Energy

However, there is also the case of providing heat for homes and businesses, and using electric for this purpose is not very efficient and not practical due to the strain it would put on power plants. The cheapest and most practical solution is to upgrade biomass into an advanced solid fuel, pellets. Pellets have an improved density, low moisture content and flow like a liquid. This means that automated systems can be designed to use the pellets, which will fit within the modern lifestyle. Many different wood resources can be processed into pellet form, however different types of wood produce different grades of pellets.

To produce the lowest ash content pellet, only certain wood residues are used. This may include pine, spruce and oak for example. However not all the material from the tree can be used. The material cannot contain bark, thinning's or even leaves. If any of this material is processed into the pellet, it will increase the ash content produced over the premium grade. These materials can be processed into a fuel pellet, which obviously makes better use of available resources, however the grade of pellet is referred to as a standard grade, and demands a lower price point.

Biomass Pellets and Fuel Advantages

Once in pellet form, wood fuel pellets can be used in automated combustion systems to heat small and large properties. For smaller properties, pellet stoves can be used, positioned most commonly in the main living space. To heat larger properties and businesses wood pellet boilers are more commonly used. Depending on the size of the integrated fuel hopper, the stove or boiler could be used continuously for days even weeks. With a large silo placed outside, enough fuel for an entire year can be held on the property.

Biomass Plants For Pellet Compression

The Wood Pellet Production Guide © PelHeat Ltd - Wood Biomass