Wood is the New Coal

Chris Hopkins, a doctoral student in forestry at NC State University, is part of a team of researchers working to turn woodchips into a substitute for coal through a process called torrefaction.

They've developed a portable torrefaction machine on campus. Woodchips go into a large funnel at the top of the machine and come out as hard, dry, black pellets at the bottom. In the process, they've changed more than just their appearance. They've been physically and chemically altered - through heat and pressure - to make them denser, drier and easier to crush.

The pellets are lighter than woodchips but retain 90 percent of their original energy content. That makes them an ideal feedstock for electric power plants that traditionally use coal to generate energy for businesses and residential neighborhoods.

"This process could help us build a bridge to more energy independence," Hopkins says.

Hopkins and his NC State colleagues are working with Progress Energy to test torrefied wood in some of the company's coal-powered generating stations this year.

For a transcript of this video, visit http://tinyurl.com/njyxry

For more information about torrefaction, visit http://tinyurl.com/nsdvjl

Produced by News Services at NC State. newstips@ncsu.edu 919-515-3470

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Category:

Education

Tags:

• NC State University
• torrefaction
• renewable energy
• environment
• coal
• forestry

[ewfleisc]

@ArtisanTony

If you have 10 lbm of wood that has 100Btu of energy in that 10 lbs, then it would have an energy density of 10Btu/lbm. If you lost 10% of the energy, but also lost say 50% of the weight, then you would have 90Btu of energy in 5lb of bio-char. The energy density would then increase from 10Btu/lbm to 18Btu/lbm. Therefore, if you are able to transport 10,000lbm on a truck, this technology allows you to transport 180,000Btu per truckload as opposed to 100,000Btu per truckload.

[ewfleisc]

@ArtisanTony No, I do not mean material density. I mean energy density. Material density is mass per unit volume. Energy density is energy per unit mass (or volume depending on how you want to look at it). lets set up a theoretical situation values being nowhere near correct.

[ArtisanTony]

@ewfleisc You mean material density not energy density. Energy will always be lost through a process or system not gained. This is the law of physics. And I do understand what his statement means. He is stating there is a loss of potential energy but the mass of the material is more dense than before. I am sure he would argue like a school girl like you are about the laws of physics. No more about this silly subject. I checked your channel. You obviously are just trolling.

[ewfleisc]

@ArtisanTony I don't think you understand what this statement means... it is, however, simple math and I will write it out for you.

(Initial energy content of wood - energy content of wood(now bio-char) after process)/Initial energy content = percentage of energy lost due to process

This is all that this statement boasts. The reason this energy loss is acceptable is that the bio-char actually sees an increase in energy density (energy per unit weight) as opposed to wood.

[ArtisanTony]

@ewfleisc It is a free country. He can do whatever he likes. I am an objective person. Bring the energy studies and we will see. This was a year ago. What happened? No Nobel prize yet? :)

[ewfleisc]

@ArtisanTony

"If he has built a better mouse trap the world will come knocking. Let's see."

Very true and I'm not saying he necessarily has built a better mouse trap, but the notion that it is automatically not worth investigating is ridiculous.

[ewfleisc]

@ArtisanTony

"It is an easy equation. Efficiency = output/input * 100%."

I am very familiar with your equation. I have studied thermodynamics and heat transfer.

[ewfleisc]

@ArtisanTony

"The end product has to be shipped back to user."

Yes, the end product must be shipped from the area where the wooden biomass is produced. Do you not have to ship coal from the mountain for it to be burned in the power plant?

[ewfleisc]

@ArtisanTony

"It takes a good amount of HEAT and chemicals to produce the end product."

What chemicals, may I ask, are needed? The only "chemicals" needed to my knowledge would be fuel to keep the pilot ignition flame going. The vast majority of the HEAT produced is from the burning the gaseous volatile organic compounds that are emitted from the wood chips themselves upon heating.

[ArtisanTony]

@ewfleisc Your kidding right? If they retain 90% of the "original" energy content that means they have lost 10%. This is simple math dude. This is just the energy loss of the wood chips due to his process. This does not include all of the energy used to ship, process and ship again. Are you suggesting that there is an increase in efficiency, lol, Sorry, no more time wasted due to your lack of objectivity.