Tree chipped mulch as fuel ?

[ngzcaz]

I haven't tried this but............ I have access to tons of free chipped mulch from a local cable company. Obviously its not finely chipped ( all the better ) and I'm wondering if anyone's tried it. A couple of heaping flat shovelful's ought ti fill the firebox. Should dry quickly enough and the draft bower on my OWB should keep the fire burning. I can't see 12 hr burn times but even 8 would be great and conserve a lot of wood. Any first hand experience ?

 

[bore_pig]

Are you talking about putting it in wet? If so I can forsee a very smoky, slow to heat fire. That's what I get in the spring when I rake up my bark and wood chips from splitting and burn them in the pit.

 

[porta mill]

chips in an owb

i do use chips in my empyre works well in the spring and fall for me . my owb has tubes that inject air across the coals not just a fan in the door .hope this helps

 

[Moss Man]

It can't burn much slower than putting a whole stack of green wood in there, I just wouldn't put a solid layer which might snuff the oxygen flow.

 

[STLfirewood]

Has anyone thought of making a small bale out of them. Maybe something the size of a loaf of bread seems like baling wire would work. I would think it would be a pretty easy jig to make. Then maybe they would burn like that. Just a thought.

Scott

 

[Moss Man]

Has anyone thought of making a small bale out of them. Maybe something the size of a loaf of bread seems like baling wire would work. I would think it would be a pretty easy jig to make. Then maybe they would burn like that. Just a thought.

Scott

I was thinking maybe a little bigger than that. Take a round cylinder, compress some inside and then open the other end and push it out.....instant jumbo pellet. The compression might remove a little moisture also.

 

[dingeryote]

Has anyone thought of making a small bale out of them. Maybe something the size of a loaf of bread seems like baling wire would work. I would think it would be a pretty easy jig to make. Then maybe they would burn like that. Just a thought.

Scott

Instead of Bailing wire, a company called "American Twisting" makes twisted paper twine that would burn.

Hmmmmm...


Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[dancan]

How much pressure wood you need to make a wood chip log ?

 

[dancan]

i do use chips in my empyre works well in the spring and fall for me . my owb has tubes that inject air across the coals not just a fan in the door .hope this helps

Anybody got pics of these air tubes ?

 

[Moss Man]

How much pressure wood you need to make a wood chip log ?

Trial and error my friend, trial and error! Should we follow up on this? Most mulch piles are frozen solid here right now, or at least the surface of them should be.

 

[STLfirewood]

Put the chips in a big wire leaf burning basket and turn the over a fire. That will dry them out real quick. Your not going to be able to press them together without something to hold them. I suggested wire because it will hold until the burn. Depending on the heat you might be able to reuse the wire. I have heard this would work but I have no idea. Someone told me if you found someone making Bio Diesel that you could get the bi product that was left over and mix it with the chips. That is was flammable and would burn. Kind of like one of those fire starter logs. I have no idea if this is BS or not.

Scott

 

[blakey]

I doubt the wood chips would burn in a regular owb very well, I think they would be hard to get dry and they would smoke like Tonto sending smoke signals. I tried a few pails of old dry corn a few years ago and the only way I could get it to burn was to throw some ontop of the wood or it would smother the fire.

 

[porta mill]

chips

next time I get out the the owb and it has burn down to just a little ash I will try to post some pics. basically in the back of the owb there is a squirrel fan when the aqustat reaches the low setting it kicks the fan on . the tubes are maybe 3" od that run along the inside walls that have a 3/8 1/2 " hole that injects air in the fire box .the last timei tried to Post pics on here it did not work so if you pm me your E-mail I can send the pics to you

 

[KsWoodsMan]

I stuffed a barrel full of wood shavings, saw dust and curlies once and tried to burn it off with very little luck.

I cut a hole in the bottom of the barrel , jammed a 2" pipe in the hole and reamed it around some. It burned fairly well with the barrel 1" off the ground so air could flow though the hole in the center. The fire burned across the top at first. The ash produced pit the fire out on the top. The fire stayed going in the center where there was air flow. If you provide the air under the wood chips they wont smother themselves. try it on a grate or in a basket for better results than just throwing a lod in and hoping for the best.

From this site :

Burning glycerin for heat and power can render positive effects, however, temperature is a significant concern. Burning glycerin at temperatures between 200 and 300°C (392-572°F) emits toxic acrolein fumes so temperatures beyond 1,000°C (1832°F) are necessary.

That doesn't sound like a good prospect without the correct setup for it.

 

[Biker Dude]

How much pressure wood you need to make a wood chip log ?

300 tons, there is a company up in Canada making compressed logs. Of course you don't need that much pressure if you mix in a binding agent like Dextrin. We used to use it in fireworks manufacturing so I know it won't hurt combustion.

 

[epicklein22]

It is possible. The tree company I work for empties there chip area every 2 years or so. Truck load after truck load. A factory buys all of it to use for heating. Most clearing companies do the same with there chips. Tub grinders can fill a truck in less than twenty minutes....way cheaper and easier to sell the chips than leave firewood logs for people to scavenge.

 

[kodiakyardboy]

Some sort of tumbler would work well in a OWB I would think, someone should figure that out as wood chips are easy to get. Maybe an old industrial washing machine tumbler that is gear driven by steam or heat somehow???

 

[dr.stan]

burning mulch

We have companies that buy semi-loads to burn in furnaces to generate electricity to power there plant,and sell back to power co. They have also installed one at the Kentucky Horse Park that they are trying to do the same with manure. Have been tubgrinding some for them to try get the right texture. Have info that they are starting to put funaces in some of the country schools that are close to saw mills. Hopefully more will start so there is no waste.

 

[CTYank]

For some time "hogged wood" was a favorite biomass fuel in the NE, used to heat some federal buildings, e.g. Augusta ME. Remember it selling for a couple $/ton.

 

[thepheniox]

I think most wood chip burners are more like corn stoves. Chips go in a big bin that feeds an auger that feeds the fire. During the auger phase hot air is blowing though the chips to dry them before they hit the furnace. I would think that wet chips would make a pretty smoky fire with very low heat.