Burning wood chips in a log burning stove?

[Tucky]

Hi guys

Just been reading a Canadian website About an experimental green wood chip furnace and in a batch process there Maths reckoned on an 11% Heat reduction penalty for using green wood chip. However this process is based on gasification not a standard wood burner.

Tucky

[Woodworks]

Thank you all, especially Woodworks. I look forward to hearing what your friend has to say.

Very best,

Luke.

 

Here is the reply from my my friend.

 

 

Most of the time I just use chips as kindling by putting a pile in the stove and laying some smallish logs on the top. I then shove one of my home made fire lighters through the vent, light it and stand back. When its going well I then put any sized log on top.

 

For fire lighting I only need the door vents open half way or I could have chimney fire. When alight I can then shut to less than 25%. When its been alight for few hours I can close both door vents and just use the down draft that is supposed to keep the glass clean. Its doesn't but suspect that's cos I'm burning Leylandii which is very resinous.

 

You are right that it does need a quite a draft if I burn it alone. It builds up with the ash on top but keeps alight for hours. Very easy to keep in overnight but won't give out much heat till you rake through the ashes and get the air in again. I'd be interested to see how they would burn on a fire with a fine grate.

 

Although I put a fire lighter under the woodchip with additional logs, I wouldn't try that with a stove full of chips. Once the fire gets going it will 'gasify' the rest of the load and if not there to shut it down, will turn into a rocket stove. I always light a pile of wood chip from above to prevent this.

[predator]

just tried 5 carry bags of dry dead chipped wood last two days and its got my kettles bubblin away nice on my coalbrook severn no problems i just fill a carry bag tie a knot and throw it over burning logs n shut the doors burns nice

[forestgough]

If you could find someone nearby with a WELMAC BRANCHLOGGER [see internet]they could chop rather than chip your brash. This machine produces a kind of loggette ranging in diameter from nothing to100mm and length 40 to 120mm.Pricesfrom about £3500 depending on size,might make a little business.