Biomass Log Fuel for Heating Farm Buildings

Due to large increase in the price of oil, propane, natural gas and electricity, the nations farmers are paying high costs for heating buildings. The problem can be mitigated by using biomass materials that exist, and are currently underutilized, on farms. This research seeks to develop a new technology to compact and burn biomass for heating buildings using a farm tractor to convert the biomass into a dense solid fuel called biomass logs, and using a fully-automated stove to burn the logs for heating. While phase I of the project will be focused on feasibility study and laboratory tests, Phase II will complete the development by testing and demonstrating the technology on a farm. The Applicant is collaborating with the University of Missouri-Columbia in this research. The University has prior research in this field, and has the farm equipment needed in the Phase II study. The success of the Phase I research will establish the feasibility of producing, and convenient use of, biomass logs on farms for heating buildings. It will result in the development of a commercial machine for cost-effective production, and a commercial stove for automatic combustion, of biomass logs on farms. With such equipment being commercially available, this new technology will gain widespread acceptance by American farmers. Because biomass is a renewable energy resource abundant on farms, use of this new technology will reduce the nations consumption of fossil fuel, which in turn will reduce the emission of air pollutants, and greenhouse gases that cause global warming.