Biofuel Moisture
Overview
Biofuels are produced from a wide range of renewable and recovered organic materials including wood residues, agricultural by-products, plant fibers, and other processed biomass feedstocks. Because these materials can vary significantly in composition, particle size, storage conditions, and incoming moisture, maintaining consistent moisture is an important part of the fuel preparation and energy production.
Moisture directly affects drying requirements, handling, storage, combustion performance, and the usable energy value of biomass fuels. Excess moisture requires additional energy to evaporate water before effective combustion can occur, while material that becomes excessively dry may create increased dust and handling concerns
Why Measure Moisture
Accurate, real-time moisture monitoring delivers multiple process and product benefits.
Improve Energy & Combustion Efficiency
Optimize Drying
Manage Feedstocks
Real-Time Process Control
RECOMMENDED MEASUREMENT LOCATIONS
Incoming Feedstock / Pre-Processing
Measure incoming biomass to identify variations in raw-material before blending, size reduction, or drying. This provides operators with an early indication of changing feedstock conditions and downstream drying requirements.
Pre-Dryer / Dryer Infeed
Monitor moisture entering the dryer to help establish appropriate drying conditions based on actual feedstock moisture rather than fixed assumptions.
Post-Dryer / Process Control:
Measure immediately after drying to verify moisture removal and provide rapid feedback for dryer control. This location can help reduce over-drying while identifying material that remains above the desired moisture level.
Finished Biofuel / Pre-Storage or Boiler Feed:
Verify final moisture before the material enters storage, loadout, or combustion. Consistent final moisture supports predictable handling, storage, and fuel performance.
Mount sensors 4–12 in (100–300 mm) above conveyors or at chutes:
- Above the dryer out-feed (primary control point).
- Optionally at infeed blending and cooler discharge for closed-loop verification.
- Outputs integrate to the PLC/DCS (analog or digital) for automatic set-point control.
Understand the Process
Using the IR-3000, you’ll save money throughout the entire production process, while making the best quality product at the same time. With MoistTech, you don’t need to compromise.