Growing biomass crops in the field is only the first step in the process of producing high quality uniform feedstocks that are then supplied to a consumer. Genera Energy’s supply chain activities minimize costs and risks associated with crop production. However, have you ever thought about the process that must occur to convert fairly diverse crops into feedstocks that have consistent moisture and particle sizes? Handling, preprocessing, and delivering these uniform feedstocks is another area in which Genera’s team excels. In our preprocessing, a key step is grinding of bales or coarse biomass into smaller particle sizes. This grinding process, while seemingly simple, must be optimized on a number of different levels to minimize energy requirements, reduce cost, and ensure consistency.
Screens in the grinding equipment used for particle size reduction are essential pieces to the grinding process. Most notably, maintaining those screens and understanding the wear on them are practices that can save you time and money. Genera has established standard operating and maintenance procedures for this purpose. These SOPs guide operators to visually inspect, measure, and record wear measurements to understand the impact on the operation. We have developed a portfolio of information related to a wide variety of feedstocks related to wear on grinding equipment. Different biomass sources, from wood to corn stover to switchgrass, have different levels of wear impact, often depending upon their ash and silica contents. Not only is this information useful for process optimization, but it also helps your OEM partner improve their equipment to offer a more robust product.
To optimize and best manage your grinding process, the operator must account for any outside circumstances that could have an effect on the process, such as foreign objects or debris in the material and monitor for these items. By inspecting and maintain your screens on a regular basis, the operator can maximize the lifespan of the equipment while continuing to deliver the high quality product. Take the time to understand wear in your grinding equipment. It will pay dividends as you improve your processing.
Genera Energy can help you improve an existing preprocessing facility or develop a new facility for your developing project. Contact us today to learn more!
Austin Beddingfield, Operations Coordinator
