the area, with only one chipping company (North-Lumber-Land Resources) and one grinding company (Verboom Grinders), says Craig. The preferred fuel is chips be-cause of their better flow consistency, but the contract was recently opened to ground biomass to increase competitiveness. Contractors dump fibre from walking floor trailers to a belowground storage bin that holds enough biomass to feed the boiler for about 2.5 days. Hydraulic rakes beneath the pile pull fibre towards the first feed-out auger. On really cold days, fibre can freeze in the unheated bin, making the rakes ineffective, says Craig. To re-duce freezing and to optimize burning ef-ficiency, a moisture content of 30–50% is specified in the supply contract, with pen-alties for fibre outside that range. Craig tests fuel moisture manually using a dry-ing oven and balance. An inclined auger brings the fibre to the KMW furnace, which heats a 272-kW boiler manufactured by I. Matheson Bioenergy Ecological Solutions for the Future Simplified die system Sturdy and reliable Low maintenance TECHNOLOGY More than 20 0 sold 1 to North w e s t Wo o d P r e s e r v ers, B.C. 5 to Trebio Wood Pe llets, Quebec & Company of nearby New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. The boiler is rated for 12,000 pounds/hour of steam, but Craig says it’s capable of producing up to 15,000 pounds/hour. The system consumes 6500 to 8800 tonnes of fibre in an average heat-ing season. Biomass feeds to the furnace from below, through the centre of a volcano-shaped stationary grate. The fuel dries and then burns as it slides down the grate. “It’s quite different from the newer systems,” explains Craig. “It’s a 1988 model, so there Pellet Mill Evolution Serie EMERGENCY SERVICE • 24 HOURS A DAY 7 D AY S A W E E K • 3 6 5 D AY S A Y E A R Performance • Integration • Comact Quality 418 227-2727 Contact us a t [email protected] s e r v i p l u s @ co m a c t . co m 418 628-2888 www.comact.com CANADA • UNITED STATES Tur nkey Pellet Plants Solutions E q u i p m e n t I n t e g ra t i o n • C u s t o m i z e d E q u i p m e n t Canada Québec (Qc) 418 628-2888 Saint-Georges (Qc) 418 228-8911 Montréal (Qc) 450 435-2121 Salmon Arm (BC) 250 562-2727 United States Hot Springs (Arkansas) 501 760-1100 Portland (Oregon) 503 213-3192 Wood chips are delivered in walking-floor trailers and unloaded to a small storage bin that holds fuel for about 2.5 days of heating. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 18 Canadian BIOMASS
Canadian Biomass November/December 2010: Page 18
