Pellet Shortage ??????

[Bioburner]

Ignition issue is nothing. Corn ignites at almost 200 more than wood pellets and with the use of pressure system it lights easily. I have three stoves that burn straight corn with self ignition. The Bixby can go from cold to blowing almost full heat in under 5 minutes with corn and uses two 500 watt igniters and a air pump. Original igniters and the stove was manufactured in 06.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Most all pellet/biofuel stoves, no matter what type of fuel delivery (auger, drop, or push auger like a Harman and even a stoker like a Hitzer can burn wood ships if the auger and tube are sized accordingly.

What I'm attempting to explain here is the reason for the pellet shortage, supply and demand. The demand is the EU and extruders are going to go where the money is with the least amount of hassle. Loading a ship hold with bulk pellets is a whole lot easier than bagging and distributing them domestically.

If I owned a commercial extruder, I'd look hard at the EU market. It's just good business. Pellets fuel is a renewable resource so extruders aren't deplering something that can't regenerate, unlike coal or oil.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Ignition issue is nothing. Corn ignites at almost 200 more than wood pellets and with the use of pressure system it lights easily. I have three stoves that burn straight corn with self ignition. The Bixby can go from cold to blowing almost full heat in under 5 minutes with corn and uses two 500 watt igniters and a air pump. Original igniters and the stove was manufactured in 06.

...and if it is, there is always hand sanitizer.......

Myself, I've never owned a self igniting stove. Maybe someday.

Raining here today............

 

[Bioburner]

The hopper would have to be addressed too as the round pellets feed easy but chips don't and Harman feed system with its shuttle gate would be out. A stove with a drop chute would be out as chips would stick to the tube. The hopper would have to have fingered shafts like a silage box. Auger would almost have to drop directly on the fire like the feed on a Hestia and almost constant feed of a Englander to prevent burn back.
Weather is terrible here as the temps are falling and the winds cranking up to over 40 latter today with a fresh 4 inches of snow. Sun is out but can only see about 200 feet on the ground.

 

[SidecarFlip]

The hopper would have to be addressed too as the round pellets feed easy but chips don't and Harman feed system with its shuttle gate would be out. A stove with a drop chute would be out as chips would stick to the tube. The hopper would have to have fingered shafts like a silage box. Auger would almost have to drop directly on the fire like the feed on a Hestia and almost constant feed of a Englander to prevent burn back.
Weather is terrible here as the temps are falling and the winds cranking up to over 40 latter today with a fresh 4 inches of snow. Sun is out but can only see about 200 feet on the ground.

I have that to look forward to tomorrow...

I was attempting to explain whats transpiring in Europe with wood pellets. I realize getting a pellet stove to run something other than pellets (or grain) is an issue but getting a wood chip fired biomass boiler to run processed wood pellets is easy, exactly whats occuring across the pond and the driving force behind this year's shortage (to a degree) and even more so in coming years as the EU imports more and more pellets.

BTW, the boiler in my avitar is completely computer touch screen controlled, every facet. The company I work for has one, just like the picture, not as clean though. Dust from combustion is present, just like a small pellet stove.....

Running wood chips isn't as easy as running pellets. We get our chips from tree services, Hi-Line clearing companies and local municipalities so the chips can vary greatly in size, moisture content and can have everything and anything mixed in like stones, chainsaws, stopsigns, shovels, rakes, just about anything someone can throw in a dump truck of chips.

The chips (prior to being augered into the fuel bed) are run through a magnetic screen system and rotary clarifier that basically destroys nice things like chainsaws (sad). The clarifier is like a large hammermill that sizes the chips for optimum burn besides trashing all the good stuff.