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Farm-Scape, Episode 2232

Researchers at the University of Manitoba are confident sophisticated computer modeling will help ensure the emissions from biomass fuelled heating systems meet acceptable environmental standards.

The two stage greenhouse gas displacement system, developed by Vidir Biomass Systems, uses large straw bales as fuel and relies on primary combustion followed by secondary combustion to get a complete burn.

As part of 620 thousand dollar Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council sponsored project, researchers will be developing computer models designed to evaluate emissions from the unit.

University of Manitoba industrial research chair Dr. Eric Bibeau says the goal is to create an automated system to maintain optimal conditions during operation to minimize gaseous emissions.

"You get your renewable CO2 so that's renewable carbon so that's not seen as an emission. The other ones that are important are your carbon monoxide and that's accounted for by good mixing of air.

Then after that you have your nox and that's taken care of by keeping temperatures low. Then after that you have you're sox and biomass tends not to have a lot of sulfur. If it has a lot of sulfur it's because it captured sulfur from the air and often the sulfur in the air comes from coal plants but it tends to be very minimum in biomass so you tend to not have to do anything about it.

Then there's particulate matter. Particulate matter is just unburned ash or unburned wood particles. There what you want is a sedate handling of the fuel, sedate meaning that you just don't blow it into the fuel and then you get a lot of airborne particles."

Dr. Bibeau says work will be getting underway shortly and he expects the project to wrap up in about 18 months.

Staff Farmscape.Ca