Tumpa Sarker, a PhD candidate in USask’s department of chemical and biological engineering, has found that heating canola meal, canola hull, and oat hull before compressing it yields a higher quality pellet with lower moisture content and volume, and higher energy content and density. The resulting product has a heating value similar to coal, Sarker found. “We have all this carbon stored in forests, and plant and agricultural residue,” said Sarker. “We are looking at how to use it in place of fossil fuels to generate energy” Many farming byproducts are currently left in the field to rot. The resulting methane releases large amounts of greenhouse gas. Compacting plant material into small pellets increases its density up to 10 times, making it much more economical to transport and store.
Canadian researchers develop better biomass pellet using agricultural waste bioenergy-news.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bioenergy-news.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Countries in Europe and Asia are increasingly relying on biofuel – products made from wood and plant residue – as an alternative to fossil fuels in power