Biomass energy is a renewable organic energy source derived from living organisms, such as plants and animals. Because of its renewable qualities, biomass is becoming increasingly prominent in discussions of renewable energy as a viable alternative to fossil fuels—especially in places like Europe, where strict environmental regulations are in place.
Biomass includes various materials such as wood, wood pellets, grass, yard waste, farm waste, and more. Because of this, biomass processing equipment is designed to handle specific processes, such as vibratory screening, density separation, metering, and material drying. When the right biomass equipment is chosen, processes can be completed thoroughly and efficiently, reducing the time and resources required.
Sources of Biomass
Common sources of biomass include:
- Wood and wood waste: wood chips, firewood, pellets, pulp and paper mill waste, lumber, bark, sawdust mill waste, and furniture waste.
- Agricultural waste: crops and food processing residues. Primarily used as a biofuel.
- Biogenic materials from Municipal Solid Waste: paper products, cotton, wool, food waste, yard waste.
- Human and animal waste
Wood is one of the most common materials used as biomass fuel. It’s also one of the most reusable sources, making wood handling equipment especially important in biomass processing systems.
Avoiding Common Problems
A biomass plant that handles wood might require equipment for the following processes:
- Fuel reception and weighing
- Preparation and drying
- Separation systems
- Crushers and chippers
- Screening systems
- Storage feeders and hoppers
- Transfer or sorting conveyors
Handling biomass materials that vary in size, shape, density, and composition can be challenging. For example, separation systems that use wire mesh screens can be prone to jamming and bridging. When these problems occur, operations are interrupted, and downtime must be taken to correct the issue. High-performance equipment like a vibratory separator can separate and classify materials like wood chips and mulch, avoiding problems like blinding, jamming, or trapping.
Seamless and Efficient Material Flow
Biomass equipment should complete processing tasks efficiently, but moving materials from one process to another should be efficient, too. Faulty, undersized, or unreliable conveyors or feeders can disrupt the material flow and, in turn, interrupt production.
Customizable vibratory conveyors can handle the unique needs of any facility’s workload or layout. Equipment that combines multiple processes, such as an activator/feeder, can also save time and production costs. An activator/feeder combines two vibratory feeders with a single pile activator, improving flow control and preventing problems such as bridging or off-center loading.
Density Separation Systems
Consideration should be given before using water for density separation, such as separating wood mulch from glass, metals, or stones. These technologies generate environmental emissions and wastewater, which challenge the sustainability of the process.
Water separation poses environmental hazards when a greener, more efficient process is available. Equipment such as an air classifier, which uses air rather than water to separate heavy materials from light ones, eliminates that threat. Not only is this system more sustainable, but it also reduces cleanup time, a common hangup with water separation equipment.
Biomass Equipment from General Kinematics
We designed our rugged, reliable biomass equipment to meet the unique demands of biomass processing. With the right biomass processing equipment, operational costs are reduced while efficiency and production are improved.
To learn more about how GK equipment can improve your Biomass process, contact us and talk to a vibratory expert today!
