Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 7
Biomass Feedstock Storage for Quantity
and Quality Preservation
Hala Chaoui and Steven R. Eckhoff
Abstract Biomass feedstock must be stored between the time of harvest and its
conversion to bioenergy products such as ethanol to ensure year-round, continuous
supply of quality feedstock to conversion plants. Storage of biomass entails conserv-
ing both its dry matter content and its carbohydrate content which may be converted
to ethanol. Moreover, it also entails preparing the biomass in terms of its composi-
tion, particle size, and pH for the pretreatment stage where cellulose is hydrolyzed
into C6 sugars and later fermented into alcohol. The goal of this chapter is to provide
an overview of these aspects related to biomass feedstock storage. Various storage
options, ranging from open storage without any protection to highly sophisticated
controlled environment, are first reviewed to highlight their advantages and limita-
tions. The feedstock properties important from a storage perspective are then
discussed. Potential alternatives to reduce dry matter losses during storage are dis-
cussed. Mathematical relationships correlating dry matter loss with its various
causes are reported. These include drying, compaction, sealing, and freezing. The
factors affecting the reduction in biomass recalcitrance are then presented, and their
impact on quality parameters relevant to processing is discussed. The reduction of
dry matter recalcitrance to prepare biomass for further processing is discussed with
the options of incorporating those in storage facilities. Guidelines to select a storage
method that may be used by design engineers or managers are also presented. The
review showed that the importance of storage in the value chain is being realized,
leading to greater interest on developing alternatives to improve storage efficiency.
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