White coal

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White coal is a form of fuel produced by drying chopped wood over a fire. It differs from charcoal which is carbonised wood. White coal was used in England to melt lead ore from the mid-sixteenth to the late seventeenth centuries. It produces more heat than green wood but less than charcoal and thus prevents the lead evaporating. [1] [ dubious ] White coal could be used mixed with charcoal for other industrial uses than lead smelting. [2] White coal was produced in distinctive circular pits with a channel, known as Q-pits. They are frequently found in the woods of South Yorkshire.

Contents

Production

Although traditionally made by drying chopped wood, white coal can be made from numerous waste products, most of which are formed into briquettes. Raw materials which can be used include: [3]

Benefits

Producers of white coal proclaim the following benefits from using the fuel: [4] [5] [6]

India is fast becoming a major manufacturer and consumer of white coal. A large number of companies have switched their boiler fuels to use white coal instead of fossil fuels. White coal manufacturing capacity is increasing in the state of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.

The production of white coal (briquettes made of biomass) using agricultural and forest waste is more common in North India. [7] [8]

See also

Solid biofuels

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wood gas</span> Syngas fuel created by gasification of biomass

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gasification</span> Form of energy conversion

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solid fuel</span> Solid material that can be burnt to release energy

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Briquette</span> Compressed block of biomass used for fueling a fire

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A firelog is a manufactured log constructed to be used as wood fuel. Firelogs are designed to be inexpensive, while being easier to ignite, and burn longer, and more efficiently than firewood. Firelogs are traditionally manufactured using two methods: the first uses only compressed sawdust and the second uses sawdust and paraffin, which is mixed and extruded into a log shape. The extruded firelogs are individually wrapped in paper packaging which can be ignited to start burning the firelog as the paraffin is readily combustible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wood-burning stove</span> Type of stove

A wood-burning stove is a heating or cooking appliance capable of burning wood fuel, often called solid fuel, and wood-derived biomass fuel, such as sawdust bricks. Generally the appliance consists of a solid metal closed firebox, often lined by fire brick, and one or more air controls. The first wood-burning stove was patented in Strasbourg in 1557. This was two centuries before the Industrial Revolution, so iron was still prohibitively expensive. The first wood-burning stoves were high-end consumer items and only gradually became used widely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biomass briquettes</span> Fuel source made from green waste

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torrefaction</span>

Torrefaction of biomass, e.g., wood or grain, is a mild form of pyrolysis at temperatures typically between 200 and 320 °C. Torrefaction changes biomass properties to provide a better fuel quality for combustion and gasification applications. Torrefaction produces a relatively dry product, which reduces or eliminates its potential for organic decomposition. Torrefaction combined with densification creates an energy-dense fuel carrier of 20 to 21 GJ/ton lower heating value (LHV). Torrefaction makes the material undergo Maillard reactions. Torrefied biomass can be used as an energy carrier or as a feedstock used in the production of bio-based fuels and chemicals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Husk</span> Outer shell or coating of a seed

Husk in botany is the outer shell or coating of a seed. In the United States, the term husk often refers to the leafy outer covering of an ear of maize (corn) as it grows on the plant. Literally, a husk or hull includes the protective outer covering of a seed, fruit, or vegetable.

Punjab Renewable Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd. (PRESPL) is an Indian biomass-based renewable energy company involved in biomass aggregation and supply chain management. The company provides fuel to biomass power plants, independent power producers (IPPs) and process industries generating power to run their operations. This process is done by burning biomass to produce heat, steam and electricity.

References

  1. Rackham, Oliver (2007). The New Naturalist Series. Woodlands. London : Collins. ISBN   978-0-00-720244-7. p. 205.
  2. Muir, Richard (2008). Woods, Hedgerows and Leafy Lanes. Pub. Tempus, Stroud. ISBN   978-0-7524-4615-8. pp. 91 - 92.
  3. "Welcome to Real Bio Coal". Real biocoal. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014.
  4. AR Fuels
  5. Hadoti biotech
  6. "Ramit biocoal". www.biocoalindia.com. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012.
  7. "White coal becomes a popular fuel source in Rajasthan". Zee News. 13 January 2010. Archived from the original on 30 October 2010.
  8. India-carbon outlook