Biomass pelletization workshop

Mar. 1, 2011 – The Biomass & Bioenergy
Research Group (BBRG) at the University of British Columbia is organizing a
two-day workshop at the University of British Columbia on May 17–18, 2011, to
share the latest research and development on wood pellets. In addition to
members of the BBRG, key members of the industry are invited to present the
state of technology of wood pellet processing, handling, and market trends.

Topics to be covered:

• Uses and applications of biomass pellets –
  international and domestic (current regional consumers);
• Unit operations for pellets production –
  sorting, grinding, drying, densification, and cooling;
• Integration of process equipment and the
  supporting systems for a sustainable operation;
• Physical and chemical properties of biomass
  and measurements, and characteristics that are desirable and undesirable for
  pellet production;
• Emissions from pellets and pellet production operation;
• Techno-economical and life cycle analysis;
• Pellet logistics – feedstock resource transportation and storage;
• Process control, optimization, and instrumentation;
• Operability and maintainability considerations of pellet mills;
• Calculations – energy and mass balances for
  pellet production;
• Solid biofuel classification,
  certification, and testing standards under development around the world (CEN,
  ISO, ASTM, ASABE, DIN, etc.);
• Safety issues related to pellet handling and storage;
• Differences between pellets, pucks, and bricks
  – can feedstock characteristics determine which to produce?;
• Torrefied wood pellets – what they are,
  current state of commercial production, how they compare to conventional
  pellets;
• Challenges in manufacturing
  pellets/pucks/bricks from roadside residues that remain after sawlog recovery
  (i.e., tops, branches, and long-butts) and contain varying proportions of white
  wood, bark, foliage, and contaminants (sand, gravel).

During the past five years, the BBRG has
conducted extensive research on wood pellet production, storage, handling, life
cycle analysis, and characterization of new generation of torrefied pellets. A
collaborative research and development program between UBC, the Wood Pellet
Association of Canada (WPAC), and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research
Council of Canada (NSERC) has funded this project. The British Columbia
Ministry of Forests, Natural Resources Canada, Agriculture & Agri-Food
Canada, FPInnovations, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (U.S. Department of
Energy), and several private sector partners have also contributed to the
development of feedstock engineering research at UBC.

For more information and to register, click
here: www.biomass.ubc.ca/BBRG%20Pelletization%20Workshop.html.