[Stoves] Formula for wood..

[Thomas Reed]

*Dear Kevin and all:

I joined the solar Energy Research Institute (SERI then, now NREL) in 
1977 here in Golden, and shortly after we hired Dr. Ray Desrosiers 
graduated from the U. of New Hampshire and skilled in thermodynamic 
calculations.  We made the first calculations on the thermodynamic 
properties of wood and woodgas, calculating the thermal equilibrium 
composition of gas as a function of the air/fuel ratio and equivalence 
ration ( A/F/Combustion A/F).  

In preparation for this he collected a number of analyses of biomass and 
we were both surprised to see how little variation there was in 
composition on a dry ash free basis.  I have rounded his numbers ever 
since for calaulation purposes to

BIOMASS:  CH_1.4 O_0.6             HIGH HEATING VALUE     2kJ/g    
Molecular Weight  23 

Why is this a good (+/- 5%) average?  I presume it is because Mother 
Nature uses cellulose and lignin in the proportion 3/1 to make 
structural biomass. (All bets are off for "reproductive biomass", seeds, 
husks, bran, which typically don't contain lignin and often have a high 
oil content.  They can be 20% more or less than this.)

You can see the gory details of pyrolysis and producer gas composition 
as a function of A/F, moisture content, pressure, air/oxygen etc. in our 
extended chapter in our

*/*ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOMASS THERMAL CONVERSION: PYROLYSIS, GASIFICATION 
AND COMBUSTION PRINCIPLES AND TECHNOLOGY:  */ First Published in 1970, 
then republished in 1972, this monumental work has long been out of 
print.  Nevertheless, it is the most complete survey of this field, 
written by a stable of scientists and engineers for the new (then) Solar 
Energy Research Institute to guide their choices of programs.  The facts 
of biomass life don't change, and most of them can be found here.  
ISBN:1-890607-20-7                                                           
420 pp         $60

*We collected many expert authors to write the various chapters in this 
book.  I refer to it at least weekly.*
*This  encyclopedia probably cost the  young SERI > $1M.  I have brought 
it back as a single volume second edition.  It should be on the 
bookshelf of every serious biomass research person. 

I hope someday we will have the funds to digitize and index it when the 
country gets serious about our only renewable fuel source. 

I hope this gets us all on the same page. 

Yours truly,

TOM REED     THE BIOMASS ENERGY FOUNDATION




*
Kevin Chisholm wrote:
> Dear Tom
>
> You have posted the effective composition of wood many times, but I 
> can't find a reference to confirm what you wrote...
>
> I think it was CH1.6 O.4, but I am not sure.
>
> Could you please confirm, or correct me if I am wrong?
>
> Thanks very much!
>
> Kevin
>
>
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