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Varn Wood Products Selects Dryer System
Varn Wood Products, Hoboken, Ga., will install a Baker-Rullman Mfg. 130-60 triple pass rotary drum dryer at the sawmill company’s new pellet plant.
“We have a lot of wood industry experience particularly in sawdust and shavings, and our Triple-Pass technology is a perfect fit,” says Baker-Rullman President David Schroeder. “Because of the customer’s pre-planning and well executed due diligence, we expect the project to go very smoothly.”
The plant will produce 80,000 tons of pellets a year from sawmill byproducts but will be expandable to 120,000 tons a year. Some of the pellets will be sold in the U.S. but most will be shipped to Europe.
TSI Launches Torrefaction Technology
Long known for its advanced single pass drying technology, and after two years of intense development with a pilot plant, TSI Inc. of Lynnwood, Wash. has launched technology for torrefaction of cellulosic biomass based on TSI’s rotary dryer technology.
Recognizing that some form of torrefaction can be an unintended consequence of incorrect dryer operation, TSI took this as a starting point and modified both the equipment and the process parameters to do this in a safe and controlled manner. “I believe we are well qualified to understand wood chip handling and thermal process characteristics, and this gave us a strong starting point to develop this process,” says TSI VP Andrew Johnson.
“The result, called the TSI Torreactor, is a system that includes the same features that have made our dryers so popular,” Johnson says, pointing to excellent control; robust, scalable design; and an ability to pneumatically classify within the drum ensuring even and homogenous torrefaction of the feedstock.
During the past two years, TSI has run extensive trials on a variety of feedstocks, including the most popular wood and grass species, to see how they perform in TSI’s reactor. TSI has mapped energy input, mass loss and the thermal energy value of the off-gas. The system is designed to be a “bolt-on” addition to a TSI drying system. “A client could conceivably run white wood or torrefied pellets or retrofit an existing facility with our technology,” Johnson notes.
Visit tsi-inc.net.
Bandit Announces New Dealers
The U.S. dealership network for Bandit Industries continues to expand as three new dealerships have signed on to help meet growing demand for Bandit equipment, providing sales, parts and service support for Bandit customers in the Northeast and South.
The new additions include: Niagara Frontier Equipment Sales, Lockport, NY, 800-348-3218; Tuff Equipment Company, branch locations in Goodlettsville and LaVergne, Tenn., 877-634-TUFF (8833); and Crusher Works, Bessemer, Ala., 205-425-8099.
Bandit Industries offers a complete line of hand-fed wood chippers, stump grinders, whole tree chippers, forestry mowers and horizontal grinders, all manufactured at the company headquarters in Remus, Mich.
West Creek, Sachem Form Energy Alliance
West Creek Energy Group, Inc. and Sachem Energy Solutions, a division of Alekson Native American Enterprises LLC, announced they have signed an agreement granting Sachem exclusive representation of renewable energy technologies in Indian Country USA and the First Nations of Canada. Sachem will be offering torrefaction systems, heat based phytosanitation systems, wind technology and other energy related capital equipment and systems held by West Creek Energy.
Visit.westcreekenergy.com.
Design-Build Solutions For Energy Industry
ClearSpan Fabric Structures provides design-build solutions for the clean energy industry, including biomass pellet manufacturing facilities, materials and equipment storage. ClearSpan Hercules Truss Arch Buildings feature high clearances and spacious interiors without support posts. These fabric buildings are outfitted with frames constructed from triple-galvanized structural steel that will hold up strong in corrosive environments. Rip-stop polyethylene covers let natural light shine through, eliminating the need for daytime artificial lighting and lowering energy costs.
Since these buildings have minimal foundation requirements, costly concrete foundations are not necessary and they are also easy to relocate from site to site once a job is finished. Every ClearSpan Hercules Truss Arch Building is custom engineered to fit the requirements of the specific location, such as snow load or foundation type. Made in the U.S., they can be built to any length and up to 300 ft. wide. Visit ClearSpan.com/ADWB or call 866-643-1010.
Biomass Handling Automation
The bulk handling of certain types of waste-to-energy products presents unique challenges. Compared to free flowing materials like liquids, gasses, grains or coal, most biomass or refuse derived fuel can cause material handling headaches. When systems engineers and plant managers recognize and address these challenges early in the design process, equipment can be selected to ensure efficient and reliable flow.
Walking Floor systems reliably automate the receiving, storage and metering of difficult bulk materials into grinding, screening and refining processes or when used as unprocessed fuel. A single bin can be designed to handle several types of material, giving flexibility to fuel purchase contracts. Maintenance costs are minimal compared to traditional chain, screw and belt conveyors.
A Walking Floor system is a horizontal unloader, eliminating the need for tipping or dumping. Aluminum slats run the length of the trailer floor. Slats move in groups of three, then together. This sequence “walks” material out.
Visit keithwalkingfloor.com.
Grinder Provides Smooth Operation
The Morbark 3800XL Wood Hog is an aggressive grinder that provides outstanding material flow into the mill chamber with a 40 in. x 59-3/4 in. infeed opening. Morbark designers created plenty of space under and within the mill to allow for smooth operation on large and bulky material for this unit which is available in a horsepower range of 700 HP to 800 HP. Standard features include the Morbark Integrated Control System (MICS). Visit morbark.com.
Terex Launches Two Trommels
Terex Woodsman has launched two new products, the Terex Woodsman 810 Trommel and Terex Woodsman 830 Trommel.
The Woodsman 810 is a mid-sized two way split trommel screen designed for quick setup time for high throughput. Key features include a large screen area, four wheel friction drum drive system, load sensing kick-out control system on the feeder conveyor and hydraulic folding onboard conveyors.
The Woodsman 830 is the largest model within the Terex Woodsman trommel range. Key features include the largest screen area within the trommel range, a low maintenance four wheel drive friction drum drive system, proportional load sensing on the feeder conveyor helps to eliminate blockages and downtime, and hydraulic folding conveyors.
Visit.terexwoodsman.com.
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