Torrefaction

[woodland]

Hi All

 

Has anyone investigated the Torr-podd,Black Mountain Wood Fuels

Im thinking of hoping over to Swansea to have a look at one. I wonder would the production of 1 tonne of highend firewood a day be in anyway finically viable.

[rovers90]

I have read about this and saw them on the "Tales from the Wild Wood" series where they claimed the moisture content was 1%. My thoughts are: is it possible to get wood that low? How long would it stay that low once delivered to a customers shed/garage/etc? How much can you charge for it as it has to be a premium product? I deliver to customers who have tried kiln dried logs at a guaranteed less than 20% and they don't like it - burns too fast and is too expensive. So I would be dubious as to its market potential.

[woodland]

I have read about this and saw them on the "Tales from the Wild Wood" series where they claimed the moisture content was 1%. My thoughts are: is it possible to get wood that low? How long would it stay that low once delivered to a customers shed/garage/etc? How much can you charge for it as it has to be a premium product? I deliver to customers who have tried kiln dried logs at a guaranteed less than 20% and they don't like it - burns too fast and is too expensive. So I would be dubious as to its market potential.

 

Hmm good points, as far as I can gather is the torrified wood is hydrophobic so it should repel moisture. I guess we shall see what happens.

[Pumpy]

I think you'd have to sell a lot of "posh firewood" to recoup the 20 GRAND outlay, plus pay for the fuel (or account for the fuel) to keep 1 ton of wood at 200-300 C all day, plus account for the labor to fill/empty the thing...

 

If one of the selling points is to provide a "cleaner" fuel, are the "volatiles" kept out of the environment during the process, or just burnt off on site?

 

One of the selling points is to produce a product containing more energy per weight unit, this does not seem to count the fuel used in producing it.

 

Seems like it's just "part burning" the firewood for the customer, and charging them for the privilege!

 

But I may have the wrong end of the torrefracted stick:confused1:

[teepeeat]

from what I recall, it burns at a higher temperature to normal wood which begs the question as to whether most stoves will be able to cope with the high temperature??

[renewablejohn]

We produce torrified wood as part of our woodchip drying process. Ground to a fine powder it can be mixed with 50% water and used as a diesel substitute. There is a market for torrified wood pellets in the production of speciality steels but the market for torrefied lump wood is very similar to charcoal.

[doobin]

We produce torrified wood as part of our woodchip drying process. Ground to a fine powder it can be mixed with 50% water and used as a diesel substitute. There is a market for torrified wood pellets in the production of speciality steels but the market for torrefied lump wood is very similar to charcoal.

 

How much modification does an engine need to run on that???

[face cord]

There website seems to be short on info & high on marketing spin.

 

 

 

Torrefraction is interesting though

 

Torrefaction Cracks the Biomass Challenge | Renewable Energy World Magazine Article

 

Types of Torrefaction Reactor

 

Lists different manufacture methods on the second page.

[renewablejohn]

How much modification does an engine need to run on that???

 

Different injectors, fuel pump and hardened piston rings. Google coal slurry for detailed description of technology. Powdered torrefied wood being a substitute for coal.

[renewablejohn]

There website seems to be short on info & high on marketing spin.

 

 

 

Torrefraction is interesting though

 

Torrefaction Cracks the Biomass Challenge | Renewable Energy World Magazine Article

 

 

 

Lists different manufacture methods on the second page.

 

I dont think Black Mountain use any of these technologies to produce torrefied wood if they did the machine cost of £20,000 is out by a factor of 10 or in my case 25. I would think the Black Mountain machine is a modified rocket stove but there website is rather vague at the moment.