ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Three mobile pyrolysis demonstrations have been scheduled for southern Oregon and one presentation is planned for northeastern Oregon.

Fast pyrolysis is a thermal process that rapidly heats woody biomass to a controlled temperature of 500 degrees Celsius, and then quickly cools the volatile products. The process yields about 60 percent bio-oil, 25 percent bio-char and 15 percent syngas.

The syngas is recycled into the combustion chamber of mobile plants to increase efficiency and reduce the need for an outside energy source for operations. The bio-oil and bio-char are also collected for later use. Bio-oil can be refined into No. 2 diesel fuel or used for industrial heating. Bio-char can be used as a soil amendment.

Umpqua National Forest and Oregon's Douglas County are sponsoring three demonstrations of a portable fast-pyrolysis unit: Aug. 19 at the Lemolo Sand Shed on Highway 138 at milepost 72; Aug. 22 at the Swanson mill site in Glide, Ore.; and Aug. 26 at 1749 Merlin Rd., Merlin, Ore. Mixed conifers will be processed at Lemolo, cedar and oak from private land will be processed at Glide, and madrone from state lands will be processed at Merlin.

Group tours are scheduled for each of the sites. For Aug. 19 and 22, meet at the Douglas County Library in Roseburg at 8:30 a.m. On Aug. 26, meet at the National Guard Armory, 666 Brookside, Grants Pass, Ore., at 8:30 a.m.

The free tours will last until 3:30 p.m., with transportation and lunch provided. Register at www.oregonforests.org.

A fourth pyrolysis demo is scheduled for 1 p.m. Aug. 31 at the Kinzua mill site, two miles north of Heppner, Ore., on Highway 207. For more information on this demonstration, call Dave Powell, Umatilla National Forest, at 541-278-3852, or Carrie Spradlin, Heppner Ranger District supervisory forester, at 541-676-9187.

-- Craig Reed