New here, Have an Avalon Astoria Pellet stove and wondering if I should purchase the new burn pot offered to burn corn with pellets. What are the benefits? What does corn cost? Thanks
How better is it to burn corn with pellets?
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If I were you, I would find some users of the pot and ask them how it works. If it works well and is not too expensive, you should go for it - not only for now, but for the future!
I am in western MA, and we have one farm in the area selling "fuel corn" for as little as $130 a ton - and it has the same heat value (dry weight) as pellets....see below for more accurate info) I also would assume that moisture does not affect it as much, as it already has 15%, whereas pellets are dried to 6% and would therefore soak up the atmosphere easier.
In my stove, a baby countryside, the corn burns great. I actually like it better than the pellets - probably because I am a bit sick of wood smell (after 30+ years of stoves)....so the corn is a novelty. There are often less fines in clean corn - so less dust.
Corn will not usually auto-ignite in a stove with electric igniter.
Corn and other biofuels will also help the cost of pellets stay lower because they provide an alternative.
I am in western MA, and we have one farm in the area selling "fuel corn" for as little as $130 a ton - and it has the same heat value (dry weight) as pellets....see below for more accurate info) I also would assume that moisture does not affect it as much, as it already has 15%, whereas pellets are dried to 6% and would therefore soak up the atmosphere easier.
In my stove, a baby countryside, the corn burns great. I actually like it better than the pellets - probably because I am a bit sick of wood smell (after 30+ years of stoves)....so the corn is a novelty. There are often less fines in clean corn - so less dust.
Corn will not usually auto-ignite in a stove with electric igniter.
Corn and other biofuels will also help the cost of pellets stay lower because they provide an alternative.
Moisture content...
I thought that whatever moisture was in fuel took energy to burn off or vaporize, thus sending that heat energy up the stack?
It this correct?
Inquiring minds...
Garett
I thought that whatever moisture was in fuel took energy to burn off or vaporize, thus sending that heat energy up the stack?
It this correct?
Inquiring minds...
Garett
Oh, don't forget to contribute to the new fuel price tracker - this will help us all get the best pricing on corn, pellets, wood, etc.
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/fuels
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/fuels
G-rott said:
Yes, you are correct. However, there are differences in the density of the fuels and also the chemical composition. So while firewood burns great at 20%, pellets need to be very low and corn somewhere in the middle.
So the actual BTU after moisture in the corn is actually less than with pellets - probably 10-20% less.
Here are some good stats:
http://energy.cas.psu.edu/energyselector/cornpellet.html
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