Energy, wood fuel characteristics

Chemical Composition. Chemical compositional data iaclude proximate and ultimate analyses, measures of aromaticity and reactivity, elemental composition of ash, and trace metal compositions of fuel and ash. All of these characteristics impact the combustion processes associated with wastes as fuels. Table 4 presents an analysis of a variety of wood-waste fuels these energy sources have modest energy contents. 

Combustion is an oxidation-reduction reaction between a nonmetallic material and molecular oxygen. Combustion reactions are characteristically exothermic (energy releasing). A violent combustion reaction is the formation of water from hydrogen and oxygen. As discussed in Section 9.5, the energy from this reaction is used to power rockets into space. More common examples of combustion include the burning of wood and fossil fuels. The combustion of these and other carbon-based chemicals forms carbon dioxide and water. Consider, for example, the combustion of methane, the major component of natural gas ... 

The main problem, however, with biomass as it is available now is that at an industrial scale, most current energy conversion equipment is designed to operate on fossil fuels and at a domestic scale, most if not all stoves are for wood or charcoal use and will not operate properly on these residues. Thus there is a need for a means for converting residues into synthetic coal, oil and gas which could be utilized in existing equipment. Pyrolysis, especially low temperature pyrolysis, which favors char and oil production, offers a particularly promising means of conversion, since the char and oil products are storable and easily transportable-an especially attractive characteristic in developing countries. 

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