Portable Grass to Pellet Processor

[cbrodsky]

Saw a neat presentation at the Northeast Small Farm expo this weekend - apparently one of the NY extension groups has developed a trailerable pellet processor for converting biofuel grasses to pellets after field drying. Given all the problems shipping pellets, it's a pretty neat idea - hitch up the pellet plant and drive it from farm-to-farm! The prototype system was quite impressive and professional looking - they are planning a much larger follow-up example.

They believe they can yield about 3-4 tons of these pellets per acre of grasses in NY with on the order of 11-12 BTUs of renewable fuel produced for every BTU of fossil fuel put into the manufacturing process - could make it a fairly viable heating crop that non-cordwood types might go for. I'd be a lot more interested in a pellet stove if I could rent a pellet mill for an afternoon and crank out 3 tons at the house

-Colin

 

[cogger]

Ya, I think a rental prosessor would be the "cats meow" like renting a log splitter. I always been trying to think of ways to make a homemade pellet press

 

[drizler]

That would be the cats meow for most of us here is semi-farm country. Lots of folks have at least a few acres of grass land just going to burdocks or the encroachment of brush and scrub. Neat concept and sized right too to be useful to the average joe. Myself I have about 10 acres of former hay field that our horses pasture on and they sure can't eat all that. Around here if you are lucky you can give the local farmers your hay if you are lucky. They might come and take it under the following circumstances. If they need it bad enough and if they have the time. Also when they want it and usually only once a season and then you might end up buying your hay back again from them. Of course it all ends up hit or miss and after a couple years its more miss than hit and all the while the field is going to burdocks and in the end they want you to think they are doing you some sort of favor for just helping themselves if and when they feel like it. We finally got so sick of it that we just went and got a brush hog.. Something like this could really mean something for the mid land owner and few small farmers left in the area. I have been thinking of setting up a small farm myself anyways just to keep the tax monsters at bay and this could be just what I was looking for. Where can I find out more about this new setup?

 

[elkimmeg]

Colin great post and info You talk about hay yields per acer as to pellet production I'm wondering if that is factoring the ability of making 3 cuttings per season or was that just one cutting

if one cutting than a field could produce 3 time that acreage yield Also does it process complete bales? or loose hay

 

[cbrodsky]

Hi Elk -

The machine appears to take cut grasses and pumps out pellets - they handed around samples of pellets - not quite as light colored as the wood pellets I've seen - a little closer to animal feed.

I actually missed some of the talk, but it seemed like they were evaluating a field cut once per year with switchgrass and other similar fast-growing grasses that could dry to yield high BTUs. One key component seemed to be being able to dry it in the field after cutting. As I understand it, wood pellet manufacturer's just use some of their stream to dry out the product for sale?

This link has some info on the presenter:
http://www.smallfarmexpo.org/9-28-07/Saturday descriptions in PDF.pdf

I believe it was Joseph Heller from USDA Natural Resources Conservation service. This project has apparently received some grant money to enable these demonstrations.

Here is an article w/a little more detail:
http://www.westchestercbj.com/archive/041607/0416070012.php

I just wish I could find the picture he showed - it was impressive trailer-mounted assembly!

-Colin

 

[cbrodsky]

PS - overall, this was a really neat event... like a very small-scale ag fair where you can really learn a lot of practical advice - a little less intimidating scale than the Dutchess fair! Lots of great programs and some good vendors. Got to see the top-end WoodMizer in action - holy cow those things are amazingly sophisticated. Costs more than my new car though...

We'd like to get into chickens/goats at a small hobby scale and this was a really great experience - we enjoyed it so much the first day, we returned on Sunday.

http://www.smallfarmexpo.org/

-Colin