Minimize cost and increase efficiency. Both manufacturers and producers have this at the forefront of their agenda, especially in today’s economy. Knowing where improvements can be made and implementing increasingly lean operating procedures creates immediate process line results.Moisture and wood fuel biomass are vital to each other for minimizing cost, proper operation of biomass boilers, and genuine fuel load assessment. Near-infrared (NIR) technology is a great noncontact way to measure moisture content, immediately improving the product and overall efficiency of the plant.Moisture control is crucial in wood and biomass operations, as excess moisture can have wide-ranging impacts that affect not only the product, but also the equipment, energy usage, production efficiency, downtime and more. Wood fuel boilers are optimally designed to operate within a limited moisture content range. When the fuel exceeds this range, it can result in various inefficiencies, increased emissions and control system errors. Therefore, understanding and maintaining the moisture content is essential for production efficiency, yielding many immediate benefits.Minimizing costs is a top priority for producers, and thoroughly evaluating methods of reducing waste can reduce wasted efforts, wasted product and wasted energy.Proactive Avoidance&nbsp; Continuous monitoring of moisture content enables proactive prevention of potential issues caused by out-of-tolerance moisture levels. Delivering the highest quality product by utilizing the diamond standard in NIR moisture detection systems ensures the highest accuracy and repeatability. The sensors are insensitive to material variations such as particle size and material height and color, providing continuous, reliable readings with zero maintenance requirements. With one-time calibration, noncontact operation and a nondrift optical design, adjustments can be made on the fly, producing instant measurements while improving performance, reliability and consistency.Dry products create avoidable risk, as do products that are too wet. Pelletizers require a specific moisture range to ensure the efficient operation of the machine. Excess moisture can cause the pelletizer to malfunction, resulting in significant product loss and downtime on the production line.Moisture control provides immediate benefits such as reduced transportation costs stemming from excess water, decreased wear and tear on equipment caused by ash and dust buildup, and prevention of blockages on the conveyor that can lead to boiler shutdown. When it comes to addressing the challenges faced by plant operators, moisture detection and control are among the most crucial steps. If there are no current methods of moisture measurement in the production process, significant opportunities for increased efficiencies are being missed.Ultimate Efficiency&nbsp; Do you currently have the ability to consistently measure 100% of the product being produced? Installing NIR moisture sensors throughout the process makes this easily achievable. Proactive, immediate adjustments are easily made to ensure optimal manufacturing by line personnel while monitoring the process anywhere in the facility.Maximizing automation and increasing reliability through reduced costs is of significant importance for operating personnel, and this goal is easily achieved through moisture monitoring. Moisture levels outside of tolerance can unravel important facets of the process, each phase of which runs more efficiently with accurate moisture content. Identifying and using the best methods can minimize common problems, including warping, claims, check and excessive transportation costs.Near-Infrared&nbsp; Multiple moisture detection methods exist for industrial processing, but not all technology is created the same. Radio-frequency (RF), weight loss and probe methods involve various factors to be considered, as they can sometimes provide more of an educated guess than a reliable measurement that can be repeated.NIR technology differs from others in that it does not require being in contact with the product at all—in fact, it is measured approximately four to 12 inches away from the product. Nondestructive and precise accuracy also make NIR a &nbsp;superior choice for moisture detection. Simply put, NIR spectroscopy and imaging provide fast, nondestructive analysis of the chemical and physical information in the product. When light hits a product, it interacts in various ways; transmitted light will pass through while backscattered light will reflect from the product back to the sensor. Absorption is key to the NIR analysis.By implementing an NIR moisture sensor, wood and wood fuel product users and manufacturers can adjust moisture levels based on real-time information, lowering raw material and fuel costs and resulting in higher yields and more uniform products. NIR offers advantages over the traditional methods, the most important being ease of use, elimination of hazardous chemicals and increased efficiency of product testing.Author: Sarah Hammond&nbsp; shammond@moisttech.com&nbsp;&nbsp; MoistTech Corp.&nbsp; www.moisttech.com&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

2024-04-09 - Increasing Plant Efficiency Through Reduced Moisture (Biomass Magazine)

small_BMM-Contribution3_wood-fines.jpg

thumbnail_BMM-Contribution3_wood-fines.jpg

BMM-Contribution3_wood-fines.jpg

small_BMM-Contribution3_wood-pellets.jpg

thumbnail_BMM-Contribution3_wood-pellets.jpg

BMM-Contribution3_wood-pellets.jpg

Moisture in wood and biomass operations impacts product as well as equipment, energy usage, production efficiency, downtime and more.

Increasing Plant Efficiency Through Reduced Moisture

Related Stories

Alliance for Green Heat receives $75,370 FEMA award to prevent fires and enhance safety in wood-heated homes

Boiler and biomass industries align for large colocated energy event in 2026

Funding Forest Innovation: Leveraging the Wood Innovations Grant Program

A Black Pellet Resurgence and New Markets

SPOTLIGHT | CITGO: The True Cost of Grease Selection in Wood Pelleting

Upcoming Events

USIPA 2025 Conference

2026 International Biomass Conference & Expo

Increasing Plant Efficiency Through Reduced Moisture.css-7jxktu{position:absolute;bottom:0px;left:0px;right:0px;height:3px;border-radius:3px;background-color:var(--chakra-colors-brandBlack);}