We at Genera Energy understand that biofuels are a renewable energy source that can minimize the United States’ dependency on imported petroleum and improve the domestic economy. Systems for producing, harvesting, collecting, preprocessing, storing, and transporting diverse forms of biomass can operate more efficiently if the biomass they process is uniform and consistent in terms of moisture, density, particle size, and other characteristics. Preprocessing a uniform feedstock from highly variable field crops through a process that efficiently chops, grinds, or otherwise formats the biomass for conversion to ethanol and other bioproducts is one of our main goals.
New developments in preprocessing biomass have cut energy intensity and cost and improved the overall efficiency and effectiveness conversion processes. To ensure we meet our customers’ specifications and our own quality standards, Genera Energy has established a sampling regime and quality control process for moisture content, bulk density, and particle size distribution, among other characteristics, of biomass that ensures a consistent analysis of all preprocessed products. This protocol is a key part of our BIN-Spec milling system. Biomass crops such as baled switchgrass, field chopped switchgrass, corn stover, energy cane, and others have been analyzed using our system. The protocol in place provides a standardized procedure for how and when to take samples as well as how to document results and data. The data we collect is transferred into a quality assurance profile associated with each lot that has been processed. By tying data directly to a lot number, the data and information is tightly integrated into our inventory control system that allows for traceability of products. This transparency and tracking all help ensure our customers that the biomass provided to them meets all applicable standards for quality and consistency. Contact Genera Energy today to learn how we can help with your biomass preprocessing and handling needs.
By Alexus Brown, Student Intern, Auburn University
