Heyl + Patterson Plans to Showcase Rotary Calciners in Northeast Biomass Conference

Heyl & Patterson, a Pittsburgh headquartered engineering company, has declared that it will keep its Pilot Plant Testing Lab open to showcase its manufactured equipment to the participants of the Northeast Biomass Conference to be held at the Pittsburgh located Westin Convention Center Hotel from 12 to 13 October 2011. The company produces equipment for use in the torrefaction process in alternative energy products manufacturing.

Torrefaction is a known thermo-chemical procedure that brings down the level of moisture in wood biomass, a plant material that is used as a clean energy source while improving the energy density of the material. In the Torrefaction process the moisture in the wood is removed and it is changed into a charcoal resembling material to replace the use of coal. Torrefied wood has the property to bring down the level of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas discharges at the power plants by substituting the use of coal to produce electric power. The other possible use of the end product includes its usage in backyard grilling, residential heating and industrial boilers.

The company designs and supplies the specific type of machines known as Rotary Calciners to carry out the torrefaction procedure. The Calciner is a device that is heated indirectly and produces high level temperature and has the feature to control the air and environ while volatile gases are totally caught and burned. On completion of the torrefaction procedure, the processed wood holds around 90% of its energy value intact.