Storage and drying of wood fuel

Some of the available techniques for the storage and drying of various types of woody biomass, and how they affect dry matter loss, fuel quality and working environment are discussed. These include field trials of ventilated storage with arable coppice and logging residues and experiments testing the effect of particle size on the storage of wood fuel. The development of a mathematical model for describing the drying of wood chips in bulk, and experiments to validate the model are discussed. Results of storage trials of uncomminuted logging residues, in covered windrows or in bundles, from both fresh and summer-dried material, showed many advantages compared with chip storage. The risks of self-ignition and allergic reactions were eliminated and dry matter losses were minimal. Research conducted to identify and quantify the changes in feedstock composition due to method and length of storage is reported. A study investigating the frequently reported errors in the determination of dry matter loss during chip storage is discussed. A literature review and a database of studies on biomass fuel storage and drying are described.