[Greenbuilding] heating values of different species of wood

[Norbert Senf]

Hi Reuben:

Yes, pound for pound wood has just about equal 
BTU content. The softwoods sometimes are slightly 
higher per pound, because of the resin content. 
The "higher heating value" of 0% moisture wood is 
about 8,500 BTU/lb. For 20% moisture wood, it is about 6,800 BTU/lb.


It looks like they calculated the recoverable 
heat value by taking the heat value of air dried 
wood (20% moisture), and multiplying by 65% 
efficiency, which is a reasonable value for a modern stove.

Best ........ Norbert



At 08:40 AM 12/22/2010 -0800, Reuben Deumling wrote:
>I stumbled upon this 
><http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-combustion-heat-d_372.html>http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-combustion-heat-d_372.html
>and wondered if anyone here can offer an opinion 
>about how good these numbers are. I compared 
>cherry and white oak on this chart (the two 
>species I tend to burn), and noticed that the 
>ratio of the two species dry weight/volume is 
>the same as the ratio of their BTU/volume.
>Does that mean a lb of cellulose regardless of 
>species is assumed to have a (more or less 
>fixed) heating value? I could imagine that but 
>hadn't encountered this before. It would make certain calculations easier...
>
>paging Norbert Senf...
>paging Corwyn
>
>Thanks,
>
>Reuben Deumling

-------------------------------------------
Norbert Senf---------- mheat(at)heatkit.com
Masonry Stove Builders
25 Brouse Rd.
RR 5, Shawville------- www.heatkit.com
Québec J0X 2Y0-------- fax:-----819.647.6082
---------------------- voice:---819.647.5092