Woodfuel advice

HARVESTING AND BURNING WOODFUEL CAN BE SEEN AS A WAY OF CHANNELLING THE NATURAL EXCHANGE OF CARBON BETWEEN THE ATMOSPHERE AND PLANTS TO PRODUCE USEFUL HEAT AND ENERGY.

THINGS TO REMEMBER!

Woodfuel releases lower quantities of atmospheric pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and the oxides of nitrogen compared with fossil fuels.

Producing and using the woodfuel locally will help to minimise the impact of haulage miles and associated costs.

COMBUSTION OF WOODFUEL TO PRODUCE HEAT!

Wood fuel passes through four stages when it is burned ;

• Drying
• Pyrolysis; fast and slow (burning without oxygen)
• Gasification and combustion
• Charcoal burnout

TO DO THIS THE MOISTURE CONTENT NEEDS TO BE CORRECT.

Burning wood with a high moisture content means that some of the energy from the combustion is used up to evaporate the water. The drier the wood, the greater the efficiency of combustion and a higher calorific (heat) value is achieved.

HOW DO YOU CALCULATE MOISTURE CONTENT?

There are formulas for calculating moisture content (www.forestresearch.gov.uk/woodfuel ) however a small moisture metre can be purchased for as little as £20. The test should be taken in the centre of the piece of wood (cut the wood in half) to get the best reading.

Anything below 25% is acceptable but the lower the better for best results!

Why not buy your logs green now for next winter (if you have the space to store them ) they will not only be cheaper but it will stop you running out next year!

MORE INFO (WWW.FORESTRY.GOV.UK/FORESTRY/INFO-7WVKA6)

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