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This semi-annual technical progress report describes work performed at Morehouse College under DOE Grant No. DE-FC26-04NT42130 during the period July 01, 2004 to December 31, 2004 which covers the first six months of the project. Presently work is in progress to characterize surface area, volume, mass, and density distributions for sized biomass particles. During this reporting period, supply requests were processed and supplies including biomass test particles (hardwood sawdust AI14546) in the size range of 100-200 microns were obtained from a cofiring pilot plant research facility owned by Southern Company, Birmingham, AL. Morehouse has completed setting up of the gravimetric technique measurement system in the heat transfer laboratory, department of physics and dual degree engineering, Morehouse College. Simultaneously, REM, our subcontractor, has completed setting up of the electrodynamic balance (EDB) measurement system to characterize shape and mass for individual biomass particles. Testing of the gravimetric system, and calibration of the cameras and imaging systems using known sizes of polystyrene particles are in progress.

This semi-annual technical progress report describes work performed at Morehouse College under DOE Grant No. DE-FC26-04NT42130 during the period July 01, 2005 to December 31, 2005 which covers the third six months of the project. Presently work is in progress to characterize surface area, volume, mass, and density distributions for sized biomass particles. During this reporting period, Morehouse continued to obtain additional mean mass measurements for biomass particles employing the gravimetric technique measurement system that was set up in the last reporting period. Simultaneously, REM, our subcontractor, has obtained raw data for surface area, volume, and drag coefficient to mass ratio (C{sub d}/m) information for several biomass particles employing the electrodynamic balance (EDB) measurement system that was calibrated in the last reporting period. Preliminary results of the mean mass and the shape data obtained are reported here, and more data collection is in progress.