What are Woody Fuels?
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Wood wastes of all types make excellent biomass fuels and can be used in a wide variety of biomass technologies. Combustion of woody fuels to generate steam or electricity is a proven technology and is the most common "biomass to energy" process.
Different types of woody fuels can typically be mixed together as a common fuel, although differing moisture content and chemical makeup can affect the overall conversion rate or efficiency of a biomass project.
There are at least six subgroups of woody fuels. The differences between these subgroups mainly have to do with availability and cost.
• Forestry residues: In-forest woody debris and slash from logging and forest management activities.
• Mill residues: Byproducts such as sawdust, hog fuel, and wood chips from lumber mills, plywood manufacturing, and other wood processing facilities.
• Agricultural residues: Byproducts of agricultural activities including crop wastes, vineyard and orchard prunings or turnings, and rejected agricultural products.
• Urban wood and yard wastes: Residential organics collected by municipal programs or recycling centers and construction wood wastes.
• Dedicated biomass crops: Trees, corn, rape seed oil and other crops grown as dedicated feedstocks for a biomass project.
• Chemical recovery fuels (black liquor): Woody residues recovered out of the chemicals used to separate fiber for the pulp and paper industry.
(Source : http://www.biomassheating.co.uk/)
