 |
|
Carolina 'Clean' Coal: NC State Researchers Work to Make Wood a New Energy Source
March 12, 2009Is wood the new coal? Researchers at North Carolina State University think so, and they are part of a team working to turn woodchips into a substitute for coal by using a process called torrefaction that is greener, cleaner and more efficient than traditional coal burning.
Environmental organizations have raised concerns for decades about the environmental impact of the burning of fossil fuels - particularly coal - for energy. The combustion of coal contributes to acid rain and air pollution, and has been connected with global warming.
During torrefaction, woodchips go through a machine - almost like an industrial-sized oven - to remove the moisture and toast the biomass. The machine, called a torrefier, changes more than just the appearance of the woody biomass. The chips become physically and chemically altered - through heat in a low-oxygen environment - to make them drier and easier to crush.
The torrefied wood is lighter than the original woodchips but retains 80 percent of the original energy content in one-third the weight. That makes them an ideal feedstock for electric power plants that traditionally use coal to generate energy for businesses and residential neighborhoods.
While the process of torrefaction is nothing new, NC State's particular torrefier machine, called the Autothermic Transportable Torrefaction Machine (ATTM), is field portable and self-heated. Traditional torrefier machines are bulky and immobile, but the ATTM lends itself to field-based operations, which reduces the cost of transporting tons of woody biomass to and from the combustion facilities. The ATTM is also largely self-powered, producing a large energy return while also removing carbon from the atmosphere.
"This process could help us build a bridge to more energy independence," says Chris Hopkins, a doctoral student in forestry at NC State and developer of the torrefier machine.
Woodchips are abundant in North Carolina while coal is all imported from other states. More importantly, woodchips are a carbon neutral source of energy. For a state that spends more than $4 billion a year importing coal, use of torrefied wood could result in an economic windfall.
Hopkins explains that nearly half of the state's forests are not adequately thinned because landowners lack a market for small diameter trees, rotten or unusable trees and logging residue. That land could be producing more valuable wood products if it was managed more effectively, he says.
If woodchips were collected and sold to help fire North Carolina's energy generating plants, the state's tax base could be increased by nearly $400 million a year, Hopkins estimates. Since the torrefier machine is small enough to transport, it could be set up close to forest-clearing operations, making the process even more efficient.
NC State's Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) announced an exclusive license agreement with AgriTech Producers, LLC of Columbia, S.C. to commercialize this technology, called "Carolina Coal." Billy B. Houghteling, director of OTT, says, "This partnership is an example of how NC State contributes to the strengthening of our state and national economy. By partnering with organizations like AgriTech, the university's scientific discoveries move beyond the Belltower and into the marketplace where they can really make a difference."
North Carolina State University
The torrefied wood is lighter than the original woodchips but retains 80 percent of the original energy content in one-third the weight. That makes them an ideal feedstock for electric power plants that traditionally use coal to generate energy for businesses and residential neighborhoods.
While the process of torrefaction is nothing new, NC State's particular torrefier machine, called the Autothermic Transportable Torrefaction Machine (ATTM), is field portable and self-heated. Traditional torrefier machines are bulky and immobile, but the ATTM lends itself to field-based operations, which reduces the cost of transporting tons of woody biomass to and from the combustion facilities. The ATTM is also largely self-powered, producing a large energy return while also removing carbon from the atmosphere.
"This process could help us build a bridge to more energy independence," says Chris Hopkins, a doctoral student in forestry at NC State and developer of the torrefier machine.
Woodchips are abundant in North Carolina while coal is all imported from other states. More importantly, woodchips are a carbon neutral source of energy. For a state that spends more than $4 billion a year importing coal, use of torrefied wood could result in an economic windfall.
Hopkins explains that nearly half of the state's forests are not adequately thinned because landowners lack a market for small diameter trees, rotten or unusable trees and logging residue. That land could be producing more valuable wood products if it was managed more effectively, he says.
If woodchips were collected and sold to help fire North Carolina's energy generating plants, the state's tax base could be increased by nearly $400 million a year, Hopkins estimates. Since the torrefier machine is small enough to transport, it could be set up close to forest-clearing operations, making the process even more efficient.
NC State's Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) announced an exclusive license agreement with AgriTech Producers, LLC of Columbia, S.C. to commercialize this technology, called "Carolina Coal." Billy B. Houghteling, director of OTT, says, "This partnership is an example of how NC State contributes to the strengthening of our state and national economy. By partnering with organizations like AgriTech, the university's scientific discoveries move beyond the Belltower and into the marketplace where they can really make a difference."
North Carolina State University
Enzyme cocktail converts cellulosic materials, water into hydrogen fuel
Tomorrow's fuel-cell vehicles may be powered by enzymes that consume cellulose from woodchips or grass and exhale hydrogen.
Microorganisms one part of the solution to energy problem, says report
The answer to one of the world's largest problems - the need for clean, renewable sources of energy - might just come from some of the world's smallest inhabitants - bacteria - according to a new report, Microbial Energy Conversion, released by the American Academy of Microbiology.
More Woodchips Current Events and Woodchips News Articles
 |
Merona Woodchip Brown Pant - 34x34 by Merona |
 |
Outset Q177 Cast-Iron Wood-Chip Smoking Box by Outset The Outset cast iron wood chip smoking box will infuse all of your barbecue experiences with smokin' quality. Cast iron makes a durable smoking box. Take advantage of the wonderful flavors of different wood varieties like mesquite, apple and hickory. |
|
WOODCHIPS AND SAWDUST: WHIMSIES FROM WESTPORT by Lois H. [cover design by Barry Simon] Simon (Author) Authors anecdotes of life in Westport Massachusetts. | |
 |
Vermont's Woodchip Route Starring: none Directed By: Jim Jones Experience woodchip harvests and heavy machinery in action. Witness breathtaking landscapes through the four seasons of Vermont. Tour the Burlington McNeil Generating Station, accented by interviews with power, forestry, and railroad employees who make it happen. This fully authored DVD provides an interesting viewing experience for the whole family. |
 |
Outset Stainless Wood-chip Smoking Box |
 |
Dollhouse Miniature Bodo Hennig Woodchip Wallpaper by Bodo Hennig Dollhouse Miniature Bodo Hennig Woodchip WallPaper imported from Germany by Bodo Hennig is suitable for the 1:12 and 1:10 scale miniature settings. Each sheet measures: 18 1/2 in wide x 9 1/2 in tall. Each purchase includes one paper sheet. It can be applied with wallpaper paste. |
 |
Three Thousand Woodchips The Cowlicks (Primary Contributor) |
 |
Bag of Woodchips - gallon These pine shavings provide an annual replenishment of nesting material for woodpeckers, ducks owls, etc. Better than sawdust, which can mat down and retain moisture. Sold by the gallon bag for individual houses or by the bale for all your birdhouse/wildlife needs. Dimensions 10 1/2" X 10 1/2" |
 |
Woodchips and Beans: Life in the Early Lumber Woods of Nova Scotia by Mike Parker (Author) Entertaining and informative, historically representative, a thorough collection of memories that enable us to see the era of lumber as king. The story of the great logging camps in Nova Scotia in the 1800s |
 |
Woodchip Wine Box by MyGift Early American style wood basket with cover. Sized to hold a bottle of wine. These are certain to make a distinctive addition to your home. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |