Part 2 of our July feature on biomass boiler solutions looks closer at WoodMaster, a Minnesota-manufactured lineup of products dedicated to “innovative uses of natural energy and alternative fuel sources.” Since 1989, such dedication has made them an industry leader in the market for outdoor furnaces, as well as the first supplier of “flex-fuel” technology for residential furnaces, allowing the use of either pellets OR cordwood.
The manufacturing company, Northwest Manufacturing, also provides underfloor heating, water distribution systems and snow melting systems. Here at Cannepp Sales & Service, we will focus on the wood-fired commercial and light commercial units from WoodMaster.
Both the larger and lighter commercially-purposed boilers are designed with modern automation in mind. Automatic fuel feeding, ash extraction and soot blowing are part of a well-integrated system that includes digital controls aimed at increasing safety and efficiency within the boiler room. Using these digital control systems, WoodMaster’s commercial boiler line can achieve up to 92% LHV efficiency throughout ASME-certified pressure vessels.
The WoodMaster Commercial Series spans 14 models ranging from 45-2000 kW and up to 6.8 million BTU/h.
The forced draft that the light-commercial unit comes equipped with makes it highly suitable for applications like greenhouses that utilize carbon-dioxide.
The control cabinet on the commercial series is designed to control the entire plant operation from silo to chimney, relaying alarms to staff, regulating heat, variability of power generation and controlling combustion. The forced-air unit is also equipped with built-in burn back protection.
In addition to being able to use WoodMaster’s biomass products to take advantage of cleaner fuel sources, integrated ‘Cyclone’ emissions controls use mechanical separation by means of centrifugal force to make them even more competitive when it comes to reducing levels of potentially harmful combustion by-products.
Although designed with home heating in mind, the Savings Calculator on WoodMaster’s website is set up to help you estimate what you stand to gain throughout the life-cycle of a biomass boiler as part of your boiler solution. This tool highlights the importance of studying the value and costs of fuel sources in your area, but it is also important to consider how accessible carbon-neutral fuels are for you. With these considerations being made, there are instances in which a system that integrates biomass technology can not only save you from significant extraneous costs, but also make a positive environmental impact in areas that have stricter emissions limits.
For more information on WoodMaster’s emissions control system, as well as details on the automated ash-removal process, visit their website.
Next week, we will turn our attention on Compte-R and their industrial/commercial biomass systems.