[Bioconversion] CV increase - total decrease.

[AJH]

On Mon, 27 Feb 2006 07:46:16 -0700, Thomas Reed wrote:

>Dear All:
>
>The calorific value is usually on a per kg or pound basis.  So if you 
>start with 100 lb of low grade biomass and convert to 50 lb of high 
>grade, thee CV will increase, but the total will decrease. 

OK two people have said this now and plainly this is what is happening
as peat then coal is formed. We know a similar thing happens as wood
is pyrolised, the initial offgas having components high in O. You have
previously likened charring to successive removal of water molecules,
although some C&H components are driven off as well.

So does retting take place under anaerobic conditions? I cannot
remember the general equation and I'm away from home but IIRC
anaerobic digestion takes on a water molecule and gives off CO2 and
CH4, so are we saying that what remains is higher in carbon than the
original biomass?

AJH