I might add that the outfit I retired from used a Hurst Scotchback 100 horsepower steam boiler that they fired with wood chips and have contracts with all the local arborists around them where they take all the chips.
They have a huge open ended on both ends, Clearspan Truss arch building (same as the one I own) but mine has roll up doors on both ends, I store my tractors and harm implements in as well as my RV and round bales if I have any left over after my one customer takes all he wants...
They have the chip trucks dump under the Clearspan and then they use a front end loader to pile them up inside. The boiler has a moving feed floor next to it in a separate building and they load the moving floor feeder with the front end loader.
Don't matter if the wood chips are green or dry, the boiler is computer controlled and senses the moisture content of the chips and adjusts the primary and secondary draft control automatically to compensate for differences in moisture content.
The chip feed is via a large auger that feeds the chips into the firebox but the chips have to pass from the feed conveyor in the other building through what is called a 'clarifier' which pulls out large chunks of wood that would jam the auger as well as landscape rakes, busted up road signs, jackets, pants, hardhats and occasionally a chain saw or brush cutter.
Because it's a gasifier boiler, it burns the fuel twice. Once in the fire bed and once in the firebrick arch above the fire bed so there is no smoke emitted by the stack, all you see is heat coming off and you can smell the woodsmoke though you cannot see anything and it's EPA approved too. It also has a fly ash scrubber on it and the fly ash goes in a 55 gallon drum which gets emptied into a roll off box and goes to the landfill.
Quite the contraption, like I said, all computer controlled so it really don't require human attention constantly and if there is an issue, the computer alerts one of the maintenance people who are all certified high pressure steam anyway. About the only human intervention is shoveling out the ashes and I've done that on occasion myself.
If you goggle up Hurst Corporation, they have a nice website and I believe the unit I'm talking about is on their site. I have pictures of it but I need to find them. If I do, I'll post them up. They use it to heat their steel pickling line as well as the offices.
When it's bitter cold out and the steam demand is high, it burns around 1000 pounds of wood chips per hour.
Quite something to see plus it keeps the steel warehouse (where it's located at) toasty all winter but in the summer it's really hot in there.
