the material is completely dry, it begins to heat up to the surrounding temperature, because water is no longer present to keep the temperature low.
Rotary Dryers
Rotary dryers are the most common type for biomass. There are several variations of rotary dryers, but the most widely used is the directly heated single-pass rotary dryer. In this type of dryer, hot gases are contacted with biomass material inside a rotating drum. The rotation of the drum, with the aid of flights, lifts the solids in the dryer so they tumble through the hot gas, promoting better heat and mass transfer. If contamination is not a concern, hot flue gas can be fed directly into the dryer. Other options include using a burner or a steam heater to raise the temperature of incoming air.
The exhaust gases leaving the dryer may pass through a cyclone, multicyclone, baghouse filter, scrubber, or electrostatic precipitator (ESP) to remove any fine material entrained in the air. An ill fan mayor may not be required depending on the dryer configuration. If one is needed, it is usually placed after the emissions control equipment to reduce erosion of the fan, but may also be placed before the first cyclone to provide the pressure drop through downstream equipment.
The inlet gas temperature to rotary biomass dryers can vary from 232 to 1,095°C (450 to 2,000°F). Outlet temperatures from rotary dryers vary from 70 to 110°C (160 to 230°F with most of the dryers having outlet temperatures higher than 104°C ( 220°F) to prevent condensation of acids and resins. Retention times in the dryer can be less than a minute for small particles and 10 to 30 minutes for larger material.
Flash Dryers
In a flash or pneumatic dryer, the solids are mixed with a high-velocity hot air stream. The intimate contact of the solids with the air results in very rapid drying. The solids and air are separated using a cyclone, and the gases continue through a scrubber to remove any entrained particulate material.
Gas temperatures are slightly lower for flash dryers than for rotary dryers, but they still operate at temperatures above the combustion point. The solids retention time in a flash dryer is typically less than 30 seconds, minimizing the fire hazard.
Disk Dryers
For smaller flows of material, a disk dryer or “porcupine” dryer (Figure 3) is an option. In a disk dryer, solids are heated by condensing steam inside of a central shaft with many hollow disks that increase the area for heat transfer. Fingers or breaker bars mix the material and act to keep the heat transfer surfaces free of buildup. The disk dryer can be operated under a vacuum or under pressure, and the condensate from inside the heating shaft can be recovered and returned to the boiler.
Cascade Dryers
Cascade or spouted dryers (Figure 4) are commonly used for drying grain, but they can be used for other types of biomass. Material is introduced to a flowing stream of hot air as it enters an enclosed chamber. The material is thrown into the air, then falls, or cascades, back to the bottom to be lifted again. Some of the material is drawn out through openings in the side of the chamber that control the residence time and amount of drying. Superheated Steam Dryers
Most superheated steam dryers are similar to flash dryers, except that the fluid suspending the solids and providing heat is steam instead of air. Under normal operation, the wet material is mixed with enough superheated steam to dry the material and still end up with superheated steam. Typically 90% of the steam leaving the dryer is recirculated while 10% of the steam, representing the amount of water evaporated from the biomass, is removed and either condensed or used directly in other parts of the plant.
See also: Drying.
Biomass Energy
Biomass energy is energy generated or produced by living or once-living organisms. The most common biomass materials used for energy are plants, such as corn and soy, above. The energy from these organisms can be burned to create heat or converted into electricity.
Biomass contains energy first derived from the sun: Plants absorb the sun’s energy through photosynthesis, and convert carbon dioxide and water into nutrients (carbohydrates). The energy from these organisms can be transformed into usable energy through direct and indirect means. Biomass can be burned to create heat (direct), converted into electricity (direct), or processed into biofuel (indirect).
Thermal Conversion
Biomass can be burned by thermal conversion and used for energy. Thermal conversion involves heating the biomass feedstock in order to burn, dehydrate, or stabilize it. The most familiar biomass feedstocks for thermal conversion are raw materials such as municipal solid waste (MSW) and scraps from paper or lumber mills. Different types of energy are created through direct firing, co-firing, pyrolysis, gasification, and anaerobic decomposition.
Before biomass can be burned, however, it must be dried. This chemical process is called torrefaction. During torrefaction, biomass is heated to approximately 200 to 320°C (390 to 610°F). The biomass dries out so completely that it loses the ability to absorb moisture, or rot. It loses approximately 20% of its original mass, but retains 90% of its energy. The lost energy and mass can be used to fuel the torrefaction process.
During torrefaction, biomass becomes a dry, blackened material. It is then compressed into briquettes. Biomass briquettes are very hydrophobic, meaning they repel water. This makes it possible to store them in moist areas. The briquettes have high energy density and are easy to burn during direct or co-firing.
Direct Firing and Co-Firing
Most briquettes are burned directly. The steam produced during the firing process powers a turbine, which turns a generator and produces electricity. This electricity can be used for manufacturing or to heat buildings.
Biomass can also be co-fired, or burned with a fossil fuel. Biomass is most often co-fired in coal plants. Co-firing eliminates the need for new factories for processing biomass. Co-firing also eases the demand for coal. This reduces the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by burning fossil fuels.
Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a related method of heating biomass. During pyrolysis, biomass is heated to 200 to 300°C (390 to 570°F) without the presence of oxygen. This keeps it from combusting and causes the biomass to be chemically altered.
Pyrolysis produces a dark liquid called pyrolysis oil, a synthetic gas called syngas, and a solid residue called biochar. All of these components can be used for energy. Pyrolysis oil, sometimes called bio-oil or biocrude, is a type of tar. It can be combusted to generate electricity and is also used as a component in other fuels and plastics as an alternative to crude oil.
Biochar is a type of charcoal. Biochar is a carbon-rich solid that is particularly useful in agriculture. Biochar enriches soil and prevents it from leaching pesticides and other nutrients into runoff. Biochar is also an excellent carbon sink. Carbon sinks are reservoirs for carbon-containing chemicals, including greenhouse gases.
Gasification
Biomass can also be directly converted to energy through gasification. During the gasification process, a biomass feedstock (usually MSW) is heated to more than 700°C (1,300°F) with a controlled amount of oxygen. The molecules break down, and produce syngas and slag.
Synthesis gas is a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
