My for sale posting has apparently become a chip fuel discussion, which was not my intent as this is supposed to be the for sale only area of the forums. Chris will most likely move this to a new topic if it becomes an ongoing conversation about chips. While I would very much like to see increased interest in chip based gasification, it needs to be said that a design other than the WK gasifier is needed for a chip based fuel. Such a design would likely need it’s own section, or possibly it’s own website depending on how Chris and Wayne feel on the subject. Unless of course Wayne thinks we could modify his design for chips?
That said, I’ll wrap up my thoughts on what’s been posted thus far;
Andrew,
If they are long and stringy then they were shredded not chipped, always verify what equipment the trimmers use before taking delivery! As for storage, you should always dry your gasifier fuel, and actual chips store well in silos (but ONLY after they are dry - fire hazard).
For the Naysayers out there, chips can be made from the least desirable shrubs, bushes etc. This means there is almost no competition for them, and as such, there is very little likelihood of them ever becoming a pricey commodity. Should they become monetized, you can always source them yourself as with chunks, but for far less labor. Also, if you have to produce them yourself they can be made from the brush that naturally grows almost everywhere, a few acres of land left to grow naturally will yield an incredible amount of chippable brush in annual growth alone. And, because custom equipment isn’t required, you can obtain parts very easily. A well researched purchase of a chipper that uses generic blades can sometimes be re-bladed for less than the cost of sharpening (unless you sharpen your own, which you SHOULD be doing). In a pinch a push mower can become a make-shift chipper as demonstrated by Mr. Abadass!
The last point that I wish to make is that the bark of the wood contains more energy than the wood itself, and chipped brush, branches and shrubbery contain a lot more bark than chunked slab wood. Just fill up a hopper on Cherry and go for a drive. Small limbs, LOTS of bark VERY good power, my Big Block performed significantly better on a hopper of Cherry than a hopper of Oak. The additional bark may produce more ash, but if you’re utilizing the biochar (and you certainly should be) that’s not a bad thing, especially if you are auguring it out of the lower compartment and into a reasonably sized holding container, say 20-30 gallons.
I’m focusing on a trailer based build, not a truck. There is more room to work with and far less to work around which allows you to install larger tanks for ash, condensate, etc. And, unlike truck mounted units it can be made to be very discrete!
'Nuff Said, this is a for sale thread! Anyone not on the chip bandwagon stands to get a good deal on some heavy duty chunker axles!
