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stove pellets

Started by bandmiller2, December 24, 2007, 06:26:01 AM

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bandmiller2

Has anyone here looked into making compressed wood pellets for those yuppie woodstoves.About 25 yrs. ago I looked into pellet makers this was just a gov. funded pilot project in western ma.when uncle sugars money ran out they did too.The machine looked much like a large commercial air comp., flyweels a hopper for sawdust waste ,just kinda punched it through a die pellets extruded out the outher end.Probibly a pelletizer like is used for animal feed would work,don't know what you would add as a binder a little wax mayby.Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Ron Wenrich

You don't need binders, the lignin acts as a binder.  A commercialized operation is rather expensive, and you'll need some sort of dryer, as well as baggers.  Those types of operations are looking for sawdust, so hopping into making them means you'll need some sort of supply.

If you're thinking about a small time operation, then you can pick up a machine for about $10K+ that is supposed to make them.  Add $10K for a dryer, and $15K for a bagger.  Production is on the 1 ton/hr. rate. 

Rule of thumb for wood waste is 1 ton of sawdust/Mbf and 2 tons of slab/Mbf.  That's for hardwoods.  Softwoods would probably be somewhat less.  If you use your slabs, then you'll need something to reduce to dust.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Raider

We use to have a place near here that made pellets for wood stoves. I think they would use corn syrup as the binder. But big blast back in March of 07, wood dust, spark, booooom :o     Raider

SwampDonkey

I think they are making pelletizers here in NB for a couple of private enterprises backed by woodlot owner investment. I don't know what the cost is. They found out they could make them here instead of importing them (Pellet Systems International of Nackawic). Made more sense.

Miramichi Pellet Plant Planned

http://www.pelletsystems.com/

Depending on the system, production of their pelletizer is 2 - 5 metric tonnes per hour, and the production of the plant systems used can range from 2 -15 metric tonnes per hour. Depends on setup I guess.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

farmerdoug

Bandmiller2,

You can soon skip the pellets and just burn the sawdust itself.  Checkout this thread.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=23473.0

Farmerdoug
Doug
Truck Farmer/Greenhouse grower
2001 LT40HDD42 Super with Command Control and AccuSet, 42 hp Kubota diesel
Fargo, MI

SwampDonkey

Sawdust burners are nothing new. The neighbors had a sawdust burner system here for years when they ran out of firewood of their own. It was usually green sawdust and they had many flu fires.  ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

farmerdoug

Yes, but the Biomizer is a small domestic unit with company support.  Most are either large commercial units or homemade.
Doug
Truck Farmer/Greenhouse grower
2001 LT40HDD42 Super with Command Control and AccuSet, 42 hp Kubota diesel
Fargo, MI

Kansas

I dont know anything about this company-someone dropped off a news article about them by the mill a few weeks ago. They make pelleters from 2400 dollars to 270,000, with output from 65 lbs an hour to 2 ton.   www.pelletpros.com   
We had someone at a few of our KFPA shows that had a small scale pelleter. He sold specialty pellets for smokers-hickory, cherry, etc. Dont know what he had, but it did make a nice product. I always thought that would be a nice niche market.

bandmiller2

Farmerdoug thanks for the link alot of info.Myself I built an outside watertube boiler that burns slabs well,but i usally mix with bigger chunks.I've often thought about burning wood chips,and sawdust seems to me the problem is feeding at a rate with enough air so they will burn clean.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

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