The Forestry Forum

 I've been tracking these guys for a number of years watching as their innovative design and "real kiln" control mechanisms have developed from a "good idea" through to where they are now.

Climatically it would struggle here where I am... we're wet tropical and the daily afternoon shower we see about 200 days a year would be a heat thief on this style of chamber. But if I was somewhere else I'd be seriously looking at one of these, they have developed a reputation for being a fast, economical dryer with minimal degrade and in the high collapse timbers I play with that minimal degrade adds up to a lot of money a year either lost to actual degrade or saved in not having to use steam reconditioners. Making steam costs $, and having to handle each charge in and out of a reconditioning chamber means handling $.

Solar drying has sure come a long way from the basic passive chamber and these guys, along with a couple of other Australian firms, are right at the forefront of the technology - understandable I guess given Australia's mostly temperate to tropical, sunshine soaked climate and ridiculously high electricity costs.

http://issuu.com/provincialpressgroup/docs/aft_june2016_issuu/22?e=4018998/36877053

Their website http://solarkilns.com/home/index.htm  gives a better understanding of the overall chamber specs, and a bit more detail on the control system though its left a little bit deliberately vague. Suffice it to say that as with any kiln, its not the ability to get it hot that counts, its the ability to control how hot for how long at what humidity and monitor whats happening and change the setpoint parameters on the go that sorts the sheep from the goats, and make good timber with the kind of consistency thats required to be profitable.

Cool stuff, but my weather wouldnt like it *sigh*