New Product: Mobile Pelletizer

[seideldan]

Saw the prototype in PA on 9/17/07. Does not work/work well yet. they are redesigning and should have a new one out in 2 months. Cost is about $120,000/130,000 from what was said. They have the right idea, its just pellet quality that will matter.
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Daniel R. Seidel
PELLET FUELS,LLC
(914) 682-3131

[Pstores]

Website says that orders will be taken early 2008 and manufacture time will be about 4 months.
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MaxFire
2 90's
2 footer
3 footer
Termination Cap
"Nothing Burns Like A Bixby"
Looking to Buy some "ENERGIZED CORN" to make some "SUPER KLINKERS".

[Cleanenergy]

We are just about done with the prototype and already starting construction of the 1st production unit. If everything goes well we will take orders early next year but as there are only 3 of us at this point (no employees) it will be slow going. Initially I expect that the demand will far exceed our production capacity and we will have to grow as quickly as possible to increase production. There is a lot of interest in the equipment, mostly from grassland conservation groups, farming cooperatives and communities. I also think a machine like ours would make a good contracting business - lease land to grow grass and/or buy grass bales and sell pellets.

As for pellet quality, all testing so far indicates it is superb. The density of pellets to date is about 45 - 50 lbs. per cubic foot bulk density. The ash content depends on the grass used and when it was harvested, but with switchgrass can be as low as 3% for spring harvested grass.

Two very promising stoves that I expect to be able to burn grass pellets are the:
Bixby stoves (the "Ugly Black Box" and "Maxfire")
http://www.bixbyenergy.com

and the Quadra-Fire Mt. Vernon model
http://www.quadrafire.com/Products/Pellet_Burning/Pellet_Model.asp?f=mtvernon

If anyone has any questions I keep the website very up-to-date and it can be found at http://www.bhsenergy.com. I can be reached at the email address and phone number listed on the website.

[burnsalot]

Cleanenergy, what went wrong with the pellet mill project?
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Pelco 1520

[ugenetoo]

the first sentence from the website kind of put me off right from the beginning!

"Sustainable agriculture is everyone's responsibility. Please plant, harvest and consume non-GMO native crops."

steve

[ugenetoo]

update on bhs project;

http://bhsenergy.com/vsbriquettes.htm

[rickw]

mobile pellet mill sounds great keep us posted!!
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Keepin' warm with corn
St. Croix Lancaster
Harman P38
Go Bucks!

[SidecarFlip]

Isee (from the video) that the company has switched it's focus from a pelletizing unit to a briquetting unit and makes no mention of pelletizing at all. Now the unit also costs in the area of $120,000.00 versus the $60,000.00 original price estimate.

I have to ask myself why did the price double, but more importantly, why the departure from pelletizing to briquetting? Pelletizing makes the unit viable for mass production to fill a pronounced need and supply a fuel that can be consumed in a variety of commercially produced pellet burning units (the bulk of the units sold at retail) whereas briquetting limits the scope of not only fuel production but the number of commercial units available to burn them.

My opinion (based on sound business principles) is that to be profitable, a business has to fill an established need with a product (pellet mill for pelletizing of biomass fuels), not create a product to fill a limited need (briquetting mill for briquetting biomass fuel).

The change in business philosophy makes no sense to me.
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Flipmeisters Specialty Products, LLC
www.flipmeisters.com

[seideldan]

From what I have learned, the field pelletizers will apparently have a problem with binding and making a stable consistent pellet - the mixture will depend upon what is being pelletized and consistency of product for commercial sale and the farmer's"value added" expectation of wholesale/retail sales to the public and local pellet stove network will be problematic. Briquettes will be able to be used onsite (barns/hothouses) as would be wood or biomass burning, without the specific pellet burn pots and blower systems. Cruder and probably more particulates are emitted when burned.

Both stationary commercial plants and mobiles are needed
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Daniel R. Seidel
PELLET FUELS,LLC
(914) 682-3131

[SidecarFlip]

But, there is already established competition in that arena. Notwithstanding, SAR Biomass has and is building and marketing commercial grade biomass hot air and low pressure boilers for just such applications, designed to combust corn, pellets and other biomass. SAR has forum on this site.

Hurst Boiler also designs and builds high pressure and low pressure biomass units for commercial steam applications and the Hurst units can run any biomass including wood chips and landfill refuse as well as corn or harvested grains. www.hurstboiler.com I'm firsthand familiar with the Hurst units. They are completely computer controlled and need little, if any, oversight. Just truck in the biomass and clean the ashes weekly.

I think you'll find the Hurst site fascinating. Their biomass boilers are.

It just seems easier to me to produce a product to sell to an established market rather than a product to a market that's in development.
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Flipmeisters Specialty Products, LLC
www.flipmeisters.com

[seideldan]

The burners/boilers exist - it's the ability to make the biomass stuff retail ready - for the small , residential burner - that's the "holy grail". The mobile pelletizers just aren't up to that job so far.
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Daniel R. Seidel
PELLET FUELS,LLC
(914) 682-3131