smallest wood diam?

[leaddog]

The reason I wanted to make a grill was to see if I could build the chips up over the nozzel and keep it going. If I fill the chips up to much the bed of coals will burn down and then it tends to go out. I want to put the chips right over the nozzel and pile them there instead of in the middle. You have to beable to get some air under the grate to sustain the coals but have the ash fall down. If That works it would be easy to augar chips in at a timed interval and close off the entrance eliminating the back burn problem. I think you might have to use a draft inducer to suck air like was done on the tarm. The tarm was burning wet (50%) chips at higher btu output than rated. Took alot of chips but it worked.
But then I look at what is over seas and think why try to reinvent the wheel because in a few years there willbe some of those units here. The greatest thing about chips is there is so much available everywhere so the transporting would be all local. That is one reason chip burners are not being pushed because the money is in" distributing" and not selling boilers. Anyone with a small tractor and chipper can make chips. Sort of like wood. A chainsaw and you can heat your home. Only people makeing any money that way is the boiler maker and if it lasts many years there isn't much insentive to push wood.
leaddog

 

[solarguy]

Eric,

I'd be careful with "green" wood chips in the attic of the barn. Kind of reminds me of the don't put wet hay in the barn routine.

 

[Tarmsolo60]

I burn small amounts of sawdust and wood debris, but usually only a few pounds at a time. I add a paper shopping bag about 1/4 full after a good coal bed has been established.

The efficiency tests that they did on the larger EKO in Europe used birch chips dried to 15% moisture.

I've generated about 1000 gallons (20 50 gal garbage bags) of cherry sawdust from a planer dimensioning trim for my house. the wood was drying for about 8 years. Is there a quicker way than your 1/4 paper grocery bag so I could use this up before spring? I'd appreciate anyones responses. I haven't tried anything because I thought it would just blow throw the boiler and make a mess.

 

[leaddog]

Give a try the way I burn chips. get a good coal bed and try several shovel fulls. You might have to stir it once or so but I think it should work. I use the chips if I'm around and at nite I always throw a couple shovel full on top of the wood. Like I said I've burnt a large gravity box full. I estimate about a cord worth.
leaddog

 

[jebatty]

Two big reasons small round wood (6" or so) with the bark on, no splits, holds so much moisture and dries slowly is 1) the bark itself on some woods (esp birch, with an oily bark that seals) which impedes drying and 2) moisture moves easily vertically through the length of wood, not laterally or through the width, so most drying takes places from the ends in. By splitting, you greatly enhance the lateral movement by exposing surface area where water moves the least. Also, the shorter the length of splits, the faster the wood will dry.

For those who need wood to dry fast and don't mind extra cutting, like a summer or late summer cut, cut into 4-6" lengths, or so, and drying will be much faster than typical 16-18" lengths.