The aim in pellet production is always to produce the best quality pellets, with the highest productivity possible. A quality pellet will be dense, shiny and break cleanly. Will every pellet out of the pellet mill look exactly the same, with the same density and surface shine, the answer, probably not.
The reasons for differences in pellet quality through the batch are to do with raw material consistency. Simply, to produce a consistent batch of every pellet being of the highest quality, the raw material going into the pellet mill must also be of the same consistent quality. Therefore raw material consistency with regards to the correct moisture content and binding qualities are directly related to the consistency of the pellet batch.
The question then is how important is pellet quality consistency, and this depends on the end use. For this example if we look at fuel pellets instead of other biomass pellet uses, it depends what type of burner the pellets are used in. For example the smaller the pellet burner, for example a small stove compared to a larger boiler, pellet quality consistency is of greater importance. Also the type of burn pot used affects how important pellet quality is. Use the search on the blog to find entries on different stoves, boiler and burn pots.
So sufficient pellet quality is judged on the end use requirements, but how can pellet quality be judged? Well the target quality pellet is dense, smooth, shiny and breaks cleanly with a sharp edge. So if a pellet does not have all of these features, what are the core requirements? A lower quality pellet still needs to serve a purpose; therefore it should hold its shape and take small forces without breaking. Lower quality pellets will not break as cleanly, however if the pellet under breaking completely crumbles this is not acceptable. Surface shine is an instant indication of a quality pellet, and lower quality pellets may not shine, however they may still be of sufficient quality.
Every batch of pellets will have a percentage of lower quality pellets. The question is, is the percentage of lower quality pellets acceptable or not, and this answer will be gained through experience. Generally though, the highest pellet quality should always be the target, as this gives lower maintenance and higher thermal efficiency.
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