Biomass is an organic matter of animal or plant origin. It is defined as one of the most important future renewable resources in the world. For many people from the developing countries, biomass is the main source of energy.
When we talk about the types of biomass, we can bravely say that diversity is big. However, when it comes to their use for energy production, agricultural and forestry residues, wood, plants, as well as organic parts of industrial and household waste are important.
For heating systems where automation of the combustion process is observed, the most used are the cherry shells, wood sawdust, wood pellets, wood chips.
What is the essence of wood pellets?
Wood pellets are actually sawdust that is compressed under high pressure. The resulting beads can have a size of Ф6-8mm in diameter, even larger, and the moisture they contain is up to 10% maximum. From a user’s point of view, wood pellets are convenient fuel, which allows them to be stored and the combustion process to be regulated. Compared to other types of solid fuels, the pellets are extremely easy to operate, while having a very small ash residue.
Heating comfort is almost identical to that of heating through natural gas.
In the future, this fuel is expected to be significantly cheaper than gas. The pellets are packaged in packs of 15 and 20 kg. These packs are more comfortable when filling the chamber for the fuel of the fireplace or the domestic hot water boiler.
The main defining parameters of wood pellets are 5: moisture content, ash content, mechanical resistance, ecological effect and calorific value.
We will discuss each of them separately.
- The moisture content is a parameter that gives information on the water concentration in the pellets. It is mostly 8-10%, which is the reason of the high mechanical strength of the pellets.
- Ashes content
Biomass is a natural material of plant origin. It contains a certain amount of non-combustible mineral mass, which is taken up naturally or accidentally in the final product. The raw material for the production of wood pellets is the core of the wood. Bark can increase ash content and this leads to a decrease in quality. Ash content in cereals is higher than in wood.
- Mechanical resistance
A parameter that shows how durable the pellets are when transporting. If they are of high mechanical resistance, they will not be crushed during transport and use in the fuel system.
- Ecological effect
According to experts, biomass is neutral, i.e. when incinerated, produces an amount of CO2 equivalent to the amount absorbed in the photosynthesis.
- Calorific value
The wood briquettes have the highest calorific value, followed by wood pellets. Next are the cherry shells, plum shells, firewood and finally wood waste.
Pellet heating
