# Approx. BTUs from various biomass pellets



## Lake Girl (Apr 14, 2013)

Thought a few might find this interesting, keep in mind this is from sellers of pellet mills, dryers, etc:
Interesting list of feedstocks...

*Q: *What are the approximate BTU per pound of some pellet fuels??
*A:* Alfalfa Pellets = 7729 BTU/lb
Aspen Pellets = 8501 BTU/lb
Corn - Shell = 8100 BTU/lb
Dried Distillers Grain (DDG) = 9400 BTU/lb
Hardwood Pellet = 8573 BTU/lb
Oats = 8242 BTU/lb
Soybeans = 10230 BTU/lb
Straw-Wheat Pellets = 7375 BTU/lb
Straw-Oat Pellets = 7626 BTU/lb
Sugar Beet Pulp Pellets = 7345 BTU/lb
Sunflower Hulls = 9654 BTU/lb
Wheat (Hard Red Spring) = 8063 BTU/lb

http://www.pelletpros.com/id75.html

Cornstarch used as a binder is mentioned in another question...

No softwood pellet info


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## jtakeman (Apr 19, 2013)

Sorry I missed this. Very interested and have traveled down this road a bit(specially when pwellet prices skyrocket). BTU isn't the only thing you need to look at. Its an absolute must to check out the ash content and the price. With the economical wood pellet and its high BTU/Low ash content. Its very hard to compete with other forms of biomass fuels. For the most part the ash content is double or triple that of wood pellets. Price factor is also not appealing as its more work to deal with the excess ash.

When corn was cheap abot 1/2 that of wood pellet, Its was a vaiable option. Due to ethanol being added to gas. That has raised the price of corn to beyond that of wood pelllets. Just isn't worth the extra hassle when cleaner fuel is available.

I'll still keep my eye on things, There are a few that may become readily available in the future. Bamboo with its quick growth may be something to keep an eye on.

Besides ash/cost one also needs a stove/venting that will handle the fuel. IMHO a stove that burns a blend of pellets and biomass isn't a true multifuel stove. They need to blend with wood pellets because the igniter can't light 100% biomass. A true multifuel unit will have an igniter that will ignite the biomass. Just my 2 pennies worth!


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## Delta-T (Apr 19, 2013)

jtakeman said:


> They need to blend with wood pellets because the igniter can't light 100% biomass. A true multifuel unit will have an igniter that will ignite the biomass.


fuel/air ratio is a much bigger part of the equation. you'll note that many of the "multi" stoves have agitation to change the surface area of the fuel...this may be the only real difference between 1 unit that is "pellet" and another that is "multi". Also, for years the Europa was a true multi unit with no ignition at all...stove makes the coolest cyclone of fire though.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Apr 19, 2013)

Delta-T said:


> Snip  .....the Europa was a true multi unit with no ignition at all...stove makes the coolest cyclone of fire though.


 

Don't go trying to touch that cool cyclone of fire I assure you it is rather hot.


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## Novice lady (Jan 12, 2016)

jtakeman said:


> Sorry I missed this. Very interested and have traveled down this road a bit(specially when pwellet prices skyrocket). BTU isn't the only thing you need to look at. Its an absolute must to check out the ash content and the price. With the economical wood pellet and its high BTU/Low ash content. Its very hard to compete with other forms of biomass fuels. For the most part the ash content is double or triple that of wood pellets. Price factor is also not appealing as its more work to deal with the excess ash.
> 
> When corn was cheap abot 1/2 that of wood pellet, Its was a vaiable option. Due to ethanol being added to gas. That has raised the price of corn to beyond that of wood pelllets. Just isn't worth the extra hassle when cleaner fuel is available.
> 
> ...


If the BTU of bamboo is approximately 7400 and the BTU of soybeans is over 10,000 (and DDGs in the 9,000s), what would be the draw to bamboo?


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## Bioburner (Jan 12, 2016)

Novice lady said:


> what would be the draw to bamboo?


Tons per acre. Beans at best are 60 bushels to an acre and a high input cost. Corn had a record set this year of over 350 bu per acre. My county average was 183. Bamboo is plant and harvest frequently. Much the reason for the interest in switch grass and several other grasses for more northern climates. Plant once and little input such as fertilizer etc. Can use poultry litter for effective boost. Marijuana is a pretty good biomass. Cellulosic ethanol is coming on board using a very close relative bug from Sake for its digestion of corn stover and grasses.


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## Novice lady (Jan 12, 2016)

Bioburner said:


> Tons per acre. Beans at best are 60 bushels to an acre and a high input cost. Corn had a record set this year of over 350 bu per acre. My county average was 183. Bamboo is plant and harvest frequently. Much the reason for the interest in switch grass and several other grasses for more northern climates. Plant once and little input such as fertilizer etc. Can use poultry litter for effective boost. Marijuana is a pretty good biomass. Cellulosic ethanol is coming on board using a very close relative bug from Sake for its digestion of corn stover and grasses.


If I sow alfalfa I can get several cuttings a year and my BTU's will be higher than bamboo, right? Or is the ash content a deterrent?


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## Lake Girl (Jan 12, 2016)

Pellet Masters (hammer mill suppliers) did some twin ports testing on various pellet materials:
http://www.pelletmasters.com/faqs/TwinPortsTesting_watermarked.pdf


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## Novice lady (Jan 12, 2016)

Lake Girl said:


> Pellet Masters (hammer mill suppliers) did some twin ports testing on various pellet materials:
> http://www.pelletmasters.com/faqs/TwinPortsTesting_watermarked.pdf


Holy Cow() that's a lot of ash for alfalfa!  Thank you so much for the informative BTU and ash tables.  I guess I'll stick with my sawdust/ corn-soybean meal/ leaves formula for my pellets.


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## Lake Girl (Jan 12, 2016)

You are making your own pellets?  How big a production?  Interesting mix of materials...


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## Novice lady (Jan 12, 2016)

Lake Girl said:


> You are making your own pellets?  How big a production?  Interesting mix of materials...


Just for home use.  We wanted to buy an American made pelletizer since the Chinese version have a bad reputation.  We bought one from a company called Buskirk based in Indiana.  The particular machine we purchased came with a 3 phase booster.  We ordered it with a 2" die because we were intending on using leaves.  When a friend gave us wood shavings we purchased the 1 1/2" die to accomodate those.  This is our first year making pellets.  We mix leaves with sawdust and a little soybean/bean meal my husband gets from a grain elevator that tests the grains in the production for feed.  The amount of raw materials needed for pellets far exceeded our expectations...FAR!  Oh my!


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## Lake Girl (Jan 12, 2016)

Has the time, effort, and cost made it a viable solution for you?  What kind of time frame are you looking at on equipment payback?


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## Novice lady (Jan 12, 2016)

Lake Girl said:


> Has the time, effort, and cost made it a viable solution for you?  What kind of time frame are you looking at on equipment payback?


Solution...not yet!  I have had to do all the leaf hauling, collecting leaf bags from the sidewalks in town...sorting the twigs and broken branches and the occasional rocks and chipped concrete blocks out...run them through the chipper/shredder...and dry them (if the moisture content is too high).  My husband will retire in a couple years and he will be taking over the raw material round up.  It's a lot of work...I venture to say too much...and the investment for the medium sized pelletizer with 3 phase unit was approx. $7,000 for a sturdy American made machine.  We may never be "in the black" with capital investment vs cost benefit analysis, BUT the look on my husbands face after he successfully made a batch of pellets was PRICELESS!


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## Novice lady (Jan 12, 2016)

Lake Girl said:


> Has the time, effort, and cost made it a viable solution for you?  What kind of time frame are you looking at on equipment payback?


A man rents our small acreage (7 tillable acres).  When he sowed corn I asked him if we could have the stalks.  Gee, you would have thought I asked him to sacrifice his firstborn!  It seems the combine chews up the stalks and cobs and shoots them out of the back onto the soil replenishing the nutrients the corn depleted from the soil.  So, that was a definite NO!


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## Bioburner (Jan 12, 2016)

Takes a lot of nitrogen to break down stover. Several farms around here are selling the stalk to biomass burner in Morris MN.


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## Novice lady (Jan 12, 2016)

Bioburner said:


> Takes a lot of nitrogen to break down stover. Several farms around here are selling the stalk to biomass burner in Morris MN.


His contention is that he would have to put a lot of pot ash in the soil.  After the corn year, he plants soybeans to up the nitrogen in the soil.


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## Bioburner (Jan 12, 2016)

You won't get that much N2 back with a crop of beans. Just a good practice to plant beans so you won't get a bigger invasion  of corn bore etc. and a list of other pests. Soybeans get nematodes and aphids
Several farmers have had so much stover they have had to burn the fields in the spring if they don't get the crop out early


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## Bioburner (Jan 12, 2016)

I would see if someone is selling stover bales. I think they go for about $30/T


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