Portable Biomass Power
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 06.22.07
Burning things produces emissions, so it is easy to dismiss it as a poor source of energy. However, in certain situations it can be a sensible option. There are plenty of sources of combustible material that are very sustainable, and burn relatively cleanly. If conversion to energy can be done near to the source of the material, then there are benefits in that there is very little energy loss in transportation. When power is transferred from a central power station to various sources of use then there is a large amount of waste.
A company called AgriPower is to begin production of a small, mobile power generator that can run on a wide range of biomass material; almost anything that can be burned can be used.
The machine uses a high-temperature sand bed to vaporise material within a few seconds, and can produce up to 300 kilowatts of power, or simply provide heat for heating systems.
CEO, Barry Berman, said, "If you are producing any waste stream and you are paying someone to bring it to a landfill, you gotta be nuts. It can be brought to remote areas and be brought to where the fuel is located. A rather significant problem in biomass is gathering it and bringing it to a furnace to burn it."
The unit has been tested in various US states, as well as in Sqitzerland, where it passed all pollution tests. ::News.com
See also ::Energy Plant to Use Poultry Biomass for Fuel ::Hybrid Grass Could Become Biomass Fuel
I like it except one thing. What starts the reaction?
It needs a primary heat source before it becomes the source of power.
D~W
Sounds good.
Where's Sqitzerland?
This is becomeing a real machine go to wood-mizer.com and take a look at the future.The machine is powered by the waste heat just like in your article by a Sterling Engine which was invented in the early 1800's.