Effect of Outside Storage on the Energy Potential of Hardwood Particulate Fuels–Part II: Higher and Net Heating Values

Fuel management planning requires knowledge of what happens to woody materials when stored outdoors in large piles. Part I of this series reported temperature and moisture content (MC) changes in cone-shaped piles up to 20 feet high. This paper reports changes in higher and net heating values. Higher heating values of the three fuels studied–hardwood whole-tree chips, bark, and sawdust–were relatively constant during the first 4 months of storage. By the end of the year, however, they declined by 9, 7, and 3 percent, respectively. These decreases coupled with increases in fuel MC resulted in significant declines in average net heating values. After 1 year of storage in 15-foot piles, average net heating values of whole-tree chips, sawdust, and bark declined by 24, 40, and 50 percent, respectively. Over half of the decline took place in the first 60 days.. Losses for whole-tree chips were less when stored in 20-foot piles than when stored in 10- or 15-foot piles. Losses can be reduced by storing larger sized particles, increasing pile heights, and shortening storage cycles to 60 days or less.

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