Dewatering methods biomass

Dewatering methods are available for most high-water-content virgin and waste biomass. This suggests that the moisture content of such feedstocks can be readily adjusted before conversion. This is not the case, however, because it is often difficult to reduce moisture content to the level desired at reasonable cost. 

Chapters 6 to 12 address specific groups of processes and methods employed for converting biomass to energy and fuels. In this chapter, the physical processes employed to prepare biomass for use as fuel or as a feedstock for a conversion process are discussed. The processes examined are dewatering and drying, size reduction, densification, and separation. The physical process, a few specific examples of the process, and its relationship to the thermochemical or microbial process that may be used for subsequent conversion are described. 

Whenever it is necessary to remove moisture from virgin or waste biomass feedstocks, air drying, mechanical dewatering, and drying with waste heat or stack gases should be evaluated first. The lower costs of these methods compared to the costs of thermal drying in which external fuel or a portion of the feedstock supplies heat may justify their use. 

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