Jump to content

Log in or register to remove this advert

Duffryn

Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    343

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Duffryn

  1. Duffryn
    Yes the heat exchangers have integral fans. The kiln is constantly vented, if it were not then using the current heat exchangers the air would just flow back through the rear of the heat exchangers rather than the vents at the front of the kiln. The constant airflow through the kiln improves drying times. The fans are turned down low at the start of the drying process and turned up as the logs absorb the heat
  2. Duffryn
    Just hired one in with an operator, I supplied telehandler and me and a mate as labour - worked for 7.5 hours. Managed 30m3 (stacked into stillages not loose) cutting 6" to 12" larch in 40 cm lengths and 6 m3 to 20cm lengths. Got to say I was really impressed with the machine !
  3. Duffryn
    Thanks thats a big help
  4. Duffryn
    On a good run with straight wood roughly how many cube can you split in a full day with this ?
  5. Duffryn
    You would be best to consult Ofgem on this for a definitive answer but my understanding is that so long as there was a bypass that ensured that one heat source could not affect the energy readings on the other heat source and so long as they were separately metered then a common dryer should not be an issue. I think you will struggle to pass the emissions test on a home built batch boiler though, you might be better off building an efficient boiler, forgetting the RHI and claiming RHI on the solar element. You could also look at Farm 2000.
  6. Duffryn
    I presume that both are using hot water. Would it not be possible to have a hybrid system solar in the spring /summer and biomass in the winter. The switching and metering between eligible and non eligible heat for RHI would be fairly straight forward . You would get the best of both worlds then ?
  7. Duffryn
    As others have said this will depend on the efficiency of the boiler and the moisture content of the fuel. If is a home build boiler I doubt you will be claiming RHI on it, thus you will only have to worry about the clean air act. In my experience it is much easier to increase the efficiency of the boiler if you do not have to meet the emissions requirements of RHI. RHI compliance in any batch fed boiler can only be achieved by burning very small loads of fuel which then governs the position of the secondary air. Remove this restriction and the secondary air can be placed in the correct place for a decent fuel load which will dramatically improve the boilers efficiency. Just goes to show what a farce the RHI situation is !
  8. Duffryn
    No - failed I'm afraid. Should be easy to knock one up though. If I get a spare minute I'll get one produced at work as a pdf and share the template here so that anyone who wishes can use it and just add their logo and contact details to it. Give me a week or so and I should have it sorted
  9. Duffryn
    Further up on this thread I explained why LogPro did not roll out. We have not been able to find an alternative solution that provided an acceptable return on investment for us and that worked effectively for the firewood supplier. We did test the Heizomat woodchip boiler and Lauber Lenz / Logpro Kiln system which we can highly recommend but sadly there was insufficient margin in this for both us AND the firewood supplier. If there is a new kid on the block with a batch fed boiler that works then I wish them every success, failing that firewood suppliers may wish to look at the system mentioned above which, if they can finance it, would provide them with a highly effective drying system and a good ROI. I hope this helps..
  10. Duffryn
    Rob is a close friend and I have helped him set up this business. The system he is selling ( other companies sell the same system for a similar price so I am not in any way trying to promote him here) is a woodchip AND log drying system. At the current RHI rate you would get a 20% ROI excluding any markup on the dried wood / chip. The ROI will drop to circa 15% if the rate drops as expected in January (figures based on tier 1) . If you have the ability to finance the upfront investment then it offers a great return and importantly this system actually works incredibly well.
  11. Duffryn
    Thanks. Unless its a 500kwh system I don't think any will launch (and there is a very limited market for these). The Heizomat and Lense system would be the best choice here ( absolutely brilliant). Re the system you are looking out why not make it a condition of the contract that the system is accredited at the current rate ? if they go for this then you really cannot loose.
  12. Duffryn
    The system would have to be installed and commissioned, the RHI applied for and the application deemed to have been correctly submitted by Ofgem ( a 2-3 week process in itself) before Jan 1st for the existing rates to apply. I presume that you are talking about the Glenfarrow kiln here ? They could probably install and commission it very quickly, they would be cutting it fine on the application though. Be warned about this kiln , it will not deliver anywhere near a 175kwh output it claims and will use a lot more wood as fuel than you will likely be told. There are a couple of Arbtalk members on here who have one - might be an idea to speak to them first.
  13. Duffryn
    I don't have one any more but will try and get hold of a copy
  14. Duffryn
    A local firewood supplier has started giving out a leaflet with all his deliveries explaining in idiot terms why logs should not be measured by weight , the importance of m/c, the calorific values of a fixed size load of soft and hard wood and the traps to look out for. Says it has done wonders for repeat business and his customers have started educating their friends which makes life a lot harder for the dodgy suppliers in the area (pier recommendation is the most effective form of recommendation). The leaflet is targeted at people who have purchased ( they all read it) not new customers who think its a sales pitch. A cheap and effective way of driving re[peat business, getting new sales and hurting dodgy suppliers in the area. Hope the idea is of some use to you all.
  15. Duffryn
    Be careful drying your own wood using the same RHI boiler as you are claiming RHI on, this is not permitted under the RHI regs. How they will ever know is another question but your probably best not to own up to doing it ! Log drying or wood chip drying kilns off an AD plant are an absolute no brainer - free heat and very cheap to install
  16. Duffryn
    Now there speaks the mind of a person who has been through the process a couple of times. A non compete clause in the SPA would be critical. Organic positions on Google can be lost with the next Penguin update and valuing them at more than 1 x EBITDA is a very high risk strategy.
  17. Duffryn
    For the market this is aimed for its a hell of a lot safer than them using an axe
  18. Duffryn
    Hi Ben, A charcoal tort is an option but only really on a very small scale in terms of kiln drying, but as you say the kiln drying would be a bonus on this sort of setup and so for many this would be an option. The same could be said for a non RHI compliant batch boiler with a kiln for the smaller firewood producer who's prime concern is drying firewood ( with waste as fuel) and not the RHI income. Re your question re Logpro. The kilns always worked it was the boiler that didn't. I am in the final stages of due diligence verifying that I have now finally addressed this. I hope to be re launching the new Logpro on Arbtalk later this month. I should warn that new Logpro will not work for the smaller firewood producer but will be very flexible and open up a number of new markets for its target customers.
  19. Duffryn
    Probably a bit cynical (but I understand your train of thought !) The wood used as fuel in the rhi emissions test is sampled as part of the test and the resultant certificate will be based on the m/c of the fuel tested. If they used 10% beech then the RHI certificate would be limited to 10% m/c wood.
  20. Duffryn
    I would have no reason to doubt Bob on this. He knows his stuff. You would be surprised on how quickly significant airflow alone in summer temperatures dries logs so long as there is great ventilation all around.
  21. Duffryn
    Interesting. This rather shows the direction that Ofgem are going in and supports the risks I highlighted above
  22. Duffryn
    Yes I corrected the post the 50- tonnes should have been 50m3
  23. Duffryn
    I don't disagree. Just to clarify the RHI emission certificate will be based on wood at a certain m/c . In this case that is 20%. More fuel will be required at a higher m/c and the boiler will fail the RHI emissions by an even greater margin. I agree you should not use logs to fuel a batch fed boiler, in fact few would recommend doing so. The issue with the Glenn Farrow boiler and Kiln is that it will not deliver anywhere near 85% efficiency or meet the RHI emissions in practical use
  24. Duffryn
    Absolutely spot on ! In Germany there are annual tests on biomass boilers and it would not surprise me if the UK followed. There is a significant correlation between emissions and fuel load. On a batch fed boiler the emissions test is difficult to pass and so the temptation to use a totally unrealistically low fuel load is high. Whilst the boiler may have "passed" the manufacturers RHI emissions test owners will need to be happy of the potential risk they run in using a boiler that will not be RHI compliant in every day use. Your comparison to the MOT emissions test is a great analogy. The test itself is carried out by the manufacturer and an independent test house. It is not currently a requirement for the boiler to be tested in use or after commissioning.
  25. Duffryn
    corrected above dried 50m3 not 50 tons

About

Arbtalk.co.uk is a hub for the arboriculture industry in the UK.  
If you're just starting out and you need business, equipment, tech or training support you're in the right place.  If you've done it, made it, got a van load of oily t-shirts and have decided to give something back by sharing your knowledge or wisdom,  then you're welcome too.
If you would like to contribute to making this industry more effective and safe then welcome.
Just like a living tree, it'll always be a work in progress.
Please have a look around, sign up, share and contribute the best you have.

See you inside.

The Arbtalk Team

Follow us

Articles

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.