Biomass Products & Technology

The May issue of Biomass Products & Technology included a case study on hybrid processing research being conducted at the Iowa State Bioeconomy Institute. The institute is similar to many research initiatives at universities around the country, ...

Biomass is an excellent source of carbon and energy for the production of biorenewable fuels and chemicals. The cost- and energy-efficient release of fermentable sugars from this biomass is challenging, however, largely due to the complex structure ...

This paper discusses how efficient and cost-effective processing equipment, including mixing, drying and material handling, can play a key role in the profitability of a biomass processing system.

Batch process mixing systems

These are interesting times for ethanol. While high corn prices from last summer’s drought didn’t do producers any favors, corn futures plunged 16 percent from $8.49 last August, a record-high that led to the shutdown of at least 20 of ...

As the nation’s industrial base meets challenges set forth by the Renewable Fuel Standard, rapid innovation in biomass feedstock, processes and by-products are being made. As these advances withstand the rigor of bench- and then pilot-scale ...

While watching the March Madness games, I ran across an article written about the head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones Women’s Basketball team, focusing on Bill Fennelly’s single-minded focus from the start of the first practice all the ...

In our April issue, Cardinal Scale explained why accurate weight measurements are important in the biomass industry – now check out how Cardinal Scale manufactures its truck scales. The company was featured on the TV show, “How It’s ...

Briquetters have a long history in densification of organic and inorganic feedstocks, from wood, paper and agriculture to metals. Recently, special briquetters have been developed to densify torrefied fiber for co-firing with coal in power and heat ...

To those with global vision, the world is a shrunken marketplace; and in these days of digital real-time communication, a very market-manageable one.

If technology brings the world to the provider’s doorstep, long-distance relationships ...

The summer of 2012 saw the most extensive and severe drought since the 1950s, affecting an estimated 80 percent of all agricultural land in the United States. Though the drought passed, weather conditions have improved and the seasons have changed, ...

The fluid dynamics of sprinkler and microirrigation systems are complex. Water moves dynamically from the water source through the pump into the pipe network. Water often goes through a series of screens and filters, depending on the source and type ...

Environmental pressures continue to challenge facilities with respect to water use. The need to alter water permits to respond to both government agency and community pressure for water use reductions, reuse and recycling seems on-going. In response ...

What do cellulosic ethanol and corn-based ethanol have in common? For both of these closely related industries, 2013 might be a make-or-break year for many of the stakeholders who have invested millions, if not billions, to help the U.S. strive toward ...

POET-DSM Advanced Biofuel’s Project LIBERTY in Emmetsburg, Iowa, will process about 770 tons of crop residue (corn cobs, leaves, husk, some stalk) per day into cellulosic ethanol once the biorefinery is operational. Most of that material will ...

In our competitive economic climate, many plant operators have a mandate to tune their plant’s performance by efficiently using biogas in cogeneration processes and increasing aeration basin efficiency, both of which can save thousands of dollars ...

The United States has surpassed all other countries in terms of production and consumption of corn ethanol, and the numbers are expected to continue to rise. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. consumed 134 billion gallons ...

Wood pellets have been manufactured for many years as a fuel source. Lately, with the focus on finding alternative energy sources to fossil fuels, the market for wood pellets has been growing.

This market growth has inspired wood pellet manufacturers ...

We’ve all become savvy online search experts, haven’t we? We know that when sourcing capital equipment, keywords make a difference. For example, take the word “mixers.” When you visit some of the popular industrial product ...

Today’s monitoring techniques depend on “guided wave” radar for accurate and timely output measurement. Detecting the levels of two different liquids in the same tank could be problematic for previous types of monitoring technology. ...

Dust and spillage are an ongoing issue in biomass handling, creating a variety of potential hazards and wasting valuable resources. After the historic explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in 2008, it’s become widely recognized how serious ...

Unexpected periods of downtime at a plant can lead to some major problems, including the inability to fulfill customer demands, worker downtime, overtime pay when plant employees return to work to fulfill those demands, and even safety issues as a ...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to promulgate standards that focus on reducing emissions of toxic air pollutants by source category. For more than a decade, the EPA has been working to develop National Emission Standards for ...

With the wide variety of biomass options that are available today, it is often difficult for businesses to decide what kind of machine will best fit its needs. Depending on feedstock, a horizontal grinder, drum chipper or even disc chipper are options ...

To maintain a consistently high level of product quality, today’s processing plants must ensure that their tanks and reactors are thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis. The direct expenses involved can be substantial, and adding indirect costs ...

The unsung heroes in anaerobic digesters are progressive cavity pumps. They move tons of solid waste, allowing the digester to process biosolids en route to generating electricity and other forms of renewable energy.

AD’s are catching ...

Before beginning the formal design process for a dryer as part of your biomass project, there are some initial considerations to explore. Drying biomass is a significant process step, required for a variety of reasons, from reducing transportation ...

After writing my previous article about the damage OPEC has done to bioenergy, I was intrigued when the International Energy Agency (IEA) released its World Energy Outlook(WEO) last week. This report has some interesting points to be made on the global ...

The December Technology Spotlight highlighted mixer application in biodiesel and ethanol fuel process. To continue the process, direct steam injection heaters, such as those made by Pick Heaters, ...

Efforts are underway worldwide to capture and convert biogas to heat, steam, electric power and fuel for motor vehicles. Biogas is often used as the primary fuel in these applications or as a supplement to natural gas.

In some cases, biogas ...

Think of a heat exchanger like the human heart, and its tubes like the heart’s arteries. When enough “plaque” builds up along the inside walls of either, the result is “shutdown.” In the case of the heat exchanger, “plaque” ...

Many solid biofuel producers are expected to deliver a product of a specified quality. While third party testing laboratories are readily available to provide these services, it is often necessary to set up an internal laboratory at production facilities ...

An innovative Midwest composting company has specified high-performance dust suppression equipment for a busy yard waste transfer station, helping the firm comply with environmental regulations and maintain good relationships with its commercial neighbors. ...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has decided not to waive the Renewable Fuel Standard, saying that it "has not found evidence to support a finding of severe 'economic harm' that would warrant granting a waiver."

According to Gena McCarthy, ...

The push is on for biodiesel. Last year, the biodiesel industry set a new production record of nearly 1.1 billion gallons, easily exceeding EPA’s renewable fuel standard. The National Biodiesel Board has projected another 11,000 jobs or so that ...

Generating power from biomass is becoming popular, especially in areas that benefit from nearby forests, agricultural areas or industrial processes that produce the proper fuel.

Materials for biomass power plants include:

• Forest ...

Effective maintenance strategies for plant equipment and facilities boost productivity while effectively managing operations budgets. The primary tool for a robust maintenance program is the maintenance work order, or MWO. A successful MWO is the ...

Piedmont Biofuels is a community scale biodiesel project that collects fats, oils and greases, turns them into biodiesel fuel, and distributes that fuel back into regional fleets and drivers.

At the heart of the project is “oil collection.” ...

A better bit for biomass
Producers of woody biomass have always had a moving target to hit when it comes to end-product specifications. Depending on demand, biomass buyers used to accept a wide variety of ground material, but ...

Oil prices are sky-high today, but could fall next month or next quarter. Solid fuel costs — and availability — can be just as unpredictable. Why not take steps to stabilize operating expenses by “cost averaging” the fuel? ...

For years industrial manufacturing has been looking for ways to be more efficient. First there was a push for lighter, stronger, less expensive materials. Today, not only is material efficiency a large component of manufacturing, but now the combination ...

Rotary impingement technology is the dominant method of tank cleaning within the ethanol industry, and there are numerous reasons why it’s considered the best. Simply put, cleaner tanks mean reduced bacteria levels, beer stone and higher yields. ...

When taking inventory of biomass material in a multi-story, high-bin tank or silo, plant personnel often have a challenge on their hands. Can a single-point measurement provide an accurate inventory reading? Probably not. Typically, a material’s ...

The last few months have seen significant press coverage on the drought and its affect on food and fuel. But what we haven’t heard about is the significant impact OPEC has had on renewable energy.

While most of the United States is enjoying ...

In case you missed it, the Navy got in some hot water recently regarding its plan to use more biofuels in its overall fuel mix. While there was some doubt whether it would make it out of Congress, the plan is moving forward now and is worth learning ...

High water content can dog any type of biomass. Even when it is deemed “dry,” biomass might still contain 10-15 percent and higher levels of wetness. While some combustion systems run better on higher levels, using the combustion’s ...

Particle emission/dust monitors or “broken bag detectors” are designed to detect filter failures and leaking filters in the exhaust ducts of bag houses, cartridge collectors, cyclones and any other dust collector containing filters that ...

The biodiesel industry is subject to many factors that can impact day-to-day operations, as well as quarterly profits. While only some of these factors can be controlled by the owner, they all have to be understood and managed properly. Two of the ...

If you need to verify how much biodiesel is in a diesel fuel, sending a sample off to a laboratory can take several days to get an answer. This can add unnecessary delays if a truck has just been loaded for a delivery, but must wait for the lab result.

The ...

As managers and developers know, working through any retrofit project is more interesting than new construction, but also more challenging. When a construction management team is assembled to repurpose an existing site, it usually means space restrictions, ...

To keep it simple, this document will use the term “filter” to represent barrier mechanisms used to separate solid particles from a flowing liquid. However, the actual definitions of filters, strainers and screens are a matter of perspective.

Perspective