What are Wood Fuel Pellets?
Here at PH Winterton and Son, we believe wood pellets are the future of wood heating. We supply wood fuel pellets as biomass fuel for a number of our customers looking for a renewable energy source.
Because of their consistent size, energy content and moisture content they can be used in automated stoves and boilers.
Wood pellet stoves and boilers light themselves when needed, typically using a small electric ignitor that comes on for a short space of time. The oxygen supply can be well controlled which means that pellet stoves and boilers are highly efficient and burn with low emissions.
They are typically 80-90% efficient and produce very little ash so when it comes time to sweep your chimney you will barely notice the difference.
The pellets are fairly easy to move mechanically using an auger, which feeds the fire as needed. This allows the pellet stove to regulate its own heat output.
How are Wood Pellets Made?
Wood pellets consist of compressed sawdust or wood dust produced by sawmills. PH Winterton sources our biomass fuel pellets as part of our sawmill waste collection service. The pellets are held together by the natural lignin in the wood. Lignin makes up roughly a quarter of dry wood, which strengthens the wood’s waterproofing properties.
Their low moisture content makes them a good source of energy because very little of the energy in the pellets is used to evaporate moisture.
The wood is first made into the dust of a consistent size using a hammer-milling machine with the sawdust compressed under great pressure and forced through holes. This is a hot process and the natural lignin in the sawdust melts and binds the dust together. This holds the pellet in shape and gives it the characteristic sheen on the outside.
Need More Information on Biomass Fuel? Contact Us Now
If you need any more information about wood fuel pellets or have any questions about biomass fuel in general, please do not hesitate to get in touch with PH Winterton today.
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