Wood Bioenergy » Product News

Bandit Produces Bio-Sawdust

Amanda Jo — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:41:50 +0000

Bandit Industries, Inc. has developed technology that allows a ¼ in. minus sawdust-type material, known as bio-sawdust, to be produced from debarked roundwood in a single pass. Benefits of this new system include greater fuel efficiency, higher production levels in pellet mills, and the potential for expansion into biofuel and bioelectricity production, according to the company.

Because the process used to produce bio-sawdust is a cutting action, far less energy is consumed in producing the fine material. When using a diesel-powered Beast, up to three tons of material can be produced per gallon of diesel fuel consumed.

Additionally, the wood fibers are cut, not fractured. Pellet operations report that this type of material packs much more efficiently into the pellet dies, yielding greater production. Pellet operations in British Columbia receiving material from the Beast are reporting a 10% to 12% increase in production at the pellet mills when running material from the Beast.

The cutterbody is shaped like a sawtooth on a chain saw, which enables the chipping system to make a precise, regulated cut. The material entering the Beast is also controlled by the infeed system, which forwards material to the cutting system at the exact speed required to produce the desired chip length. When producing bio-sawdust, the chipping operation generally yields better than 95% acceptable material (¼ in,-minus) in one pass.

New Biomass Chipper Has Compact Design

Amanda Jo — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:02:23 +0000

No progressive, international company can afford to rest on its laurels, says Vecoplan, based in Bad Marienberg, Germany. That’s why its engineers have developed a new biomass chipper which is described as “mini but mighty.”

“The biomass chipper is extremely compact in design and therefore only takes up a minimum amount of space in the plant,” explains Irene Scheidweiler, founder of Vecoplan.

The biomass chipper still has in various applications a comparable throughput capacity as the traditional drum chippers. The biomass is processed by four rollers. The three lower rollers (base) are toothed and strengthened; the upper roller (oscillating), on the other hand, has aggressive spikes.

The biomass chipper has a dual-action cylinder on each side. It features a fast lifting and gentle lowering function. The clamping plate rotor has a large chip pocket volume and divided knife. Changing the knives is quick and maintenance-friendly.

The drum chippers and biomass chippers from Vecoplan have the following features in common: a swivel-mounted screening basket facilitates changing the basket, and the shredding tools are changed at the front of the machine which guarantees ergonomically friendly maintenance.

“The biomass chipper is another important product in our company’s range,” emphasizes Scheidweiler. “We are now able to offer even more tailored solutions to our customers.”

Phone +49 (0)2661 6267-376; visit vecoplan.de.

Fiber Preparation for Renewable Fuels

Amanda Jo — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:55:38 +0000

West Salem Machinery announces the completion of a wood fiber preparation system for converting green chips, sawdust and shavings to pellet fuel. The system handles up to 100 green tons per hour of fiber, and includes pre-screening and shredding/milling of material to an approximate 1/2 in. to 3/4 in. minus product size.

The system includes two WSM drag chain reclaims, which allow bulk loading and metered feeding of wood fibers, a belt conveyor with overhead self-cleaning permanent magnet, vibrating screen and WSM 4272S swing hammer shredder/hammermill. Pre-screening the incoming material provides increased thru-put with less energy consumption.

Call 800-722-3530; visit westsalem.com.

Preventing Dust Explosion, Fires

Amanda Jo — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:36:38 +0000

Spark detection systems are used in production equipment, material handling, dust collection and pneumatic conveying systems. When working materials, sparks are created very quickly. A dull tool, a damaged fan bearing, an overheated motor, or a foreign object within the material can be the cause. This is a constant danger for all facilities where combustible materials are being worked, exhausted, transported, filtered, or dried.

Detect and extinguish sparks and burning embers before they create a fire or dust explosion. The GreCon sensors detect even the smallest spark’s infrared radiation. The sensors signal the control console to initiate instantaneous countermeasures thus preventing the spark from entering the dust collector or other downstream areas. The system extinguishes sparks without stopping production. Other countermeasures can be triggered including deluge valves, diverting or abort gates, or custom PLC action.

Call 503-641-7731 visit grecon-us.com.