Pellet boiler - what it is, what fuel it runs on, design and nuances of choice. Fuel pellets - production, advantages and use Pellets for heating types and features of use

Using ordinary firewood as fuel is ineffective due to the burning speed and the need for a person to throw it into the stove. An alternative and more modern option is pellets. The heat transfer of pellets is comparable to coal; wood loses in almost all respects. Purchasing pellets is not difficult, but most of the money can be saved if you prepare the fuel yourself. This will be discussed in the article.

What are pellets and what are they made from?

Pellets are granular material compressed into a cylinder shape. The following raw materials are used in production:

Wood waste;

Chicken droppings;

Sunflower husk;

Waste cereal products;

Advantages and disadvantages of using fuel pellets

To evaluate the real characteristics of pellets, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of the material.

The main advantages of pellets for combustion:

There is no risk of exacerbation of chronic diseases in asthmatics and allergy sufferers;

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Pellets are not subject to spontaneous combustion;

When burning they give off a large amount of heat;

The high density of the material makes transportation easier;

During the combustion process, no hazardous products are released into the atmosphere; only 3% of ash is formed from the amount of fuel used.

Possible spraying of harmful substances when using handicraft pellets, where low-quality raw materials are often used;

High price of fuel when purchasing a small batch.

Application area

Fuel pellets are quite popular in European countries, where when choosing the type of heating, preference is given to environmentally friendly systems. In our country, the demand for the product is actively increasing, which is associated with the availability of large volumes of raw materials and rising energy costs.

They drown with pellets boilers and fireplaces for heating a private home, they are used in boiler houses of housing and communal services. Pellets are also suitable for combined systems that produce heat and electricity. In everyday life, the product is popular among cat breeders; the granules do an excellent job as toilet fillers.

The high moisture absorption capacity has opened up the possibility of new uses for pellets - emergency situations in which urgent removal of liquid products is required.

Do-it-yourself pellet production

Before you start making pellets at home, you need to understand the essence of production technology. It consists of several stages:

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Sorting of raw materials, cleaning them from impurities and debris;

Pre-grinding (fraction 2-4 m);

Drying using a special chamber (raw materials whose humidity is within 12% are allowed for further processing);

Grinding to a powdery state (fraction does not exceed 1-2 mm);

Dry steam treatment;

Granulation using a press;

Cooling;

Packing in containers.

As already noted, it is economically irrational to purchase pellets in small quantities, therefore, if you have a raw material base, it is easy to set up the production of fuel pellets at home.

Home technology is simplified by shortening some processes. For example, if you purchase raw materials from wood processing enterprises, then you do not need to install drying chambers. The humidity level at industrial plants is strictly controlled. But there is nothing to replace the granulator with, so you will need to install it using improvised means or purchase a factory-assembled one. Another option is to purchase used equipment. The prices are more or less reasonable, and there can be no serious damage to it, the design is extremely simple.

Skilled owners can assemble the granulator with their own hands. The installation design includes the following components:

In order for a house to be as comfortable and habitable as possible, it must have high-quality and efficient heating. Here you need to take into account that not every building has the ability to connect to a central gas supply, and electric heating devices can lead to too much expense. Special pellets are an excellent heating alternative.

What it is?

Today, special wood pellets are called pellets. To put it simply, these products are ordinary wood processing waste. They are pressed into small granules. As a rule, such products are produced from environmentally friendly raw materials, which do not contain hazardous chemical compounds. Pellet heating belongs to the category of modern heating systems.

What are pellets made of?

Many owners of private houses wonder what pellets are made from. It is worth noting here that people often make such products on their own. To do this, it is enough to stock up on a crusher, a sieve, a dryer designed specifically for sawdust, as well as a granulator. The optimal raw materials for the manufacture of such products are waste from the wood processing industry:

• sawdust;
• trimmings;
• shavings;
• croaker;
• wood flour from deciduous and coniferous trees;
• other waste generated during wood processing.

The granules, which are made from wood waste, are light, gray and black.

For example, in the process of producing gray pellets, wood waste is often combined with bark. Pellets of this type are usually placed in large bags. They are very often used in European boiler houses, which have impressive power. Wood fillers for pet trays are also produced using a similar method. Pellets are also made from agricultural waste. The components in this case can be straw or dried hay. Today, many farmers create pellets for heating from raw materials such as:

• reed;
• sunflower husk;
• hay;
• rice husk;
• other agricultural waste.

If you take all the waste, then with the exception of rice husks, there are no difficulties in recycling them. To do this, it is enough to use simple equipment equipped with a ring-type matrix. Processing these components takes a minimum of free time, and large investments are not required.

If pellets are made from more capricious rice husks, then more reliable and wear-resistant equipment made from stainless steel is used.

Pellets are also made from raw materials such as peat. Such products are characterized by an impressive calorific value and high ash content. The manufacture of such options requires specialized equipment and good resources, because the procurement of peat raw materials is a seasonal procedure that requires certain costs.

Advantages and disadvantages

Today, pellet heating is chosen by many owners of private houses that cannot be connected to the gas mains for a number of reasons. People prefer this method of heating their home because it has significant advantages.

• Pellets are made from safe and environmentally friendly materials that do not harm health.
• Pellet heating has good safety characteristics. Granulated fuel from natural raw materials is not explosive, unlike, for example, gas.
• In most cases, pellet heating is characterized by low ash content (there are exceptions, for example, in the case of peat granules).
• In the case of using pellets, it is possible to use the ash in the future.
• Heating a private or suburban building with granulated pellets does not require approval for connection (unlike options running on gas).
• To store pellets, there is no need to separate a separate structure - you just need to choose a dry room.

• Pellets are made quite simply when we are talking about ordinary pellets from wood waste. Moreover, they can be produced at home if you have the appropriate equipment.
• Particles from sawdust and agricultural waste can be stored without problems in a place convenient for the homeowner. In addition, they are easily transported.
• Pellet boilers boast a high efficiency.
• In most cases, pellets do not emit any pungent odors when burned. In addition, they emit almost imperceptible smoke that has no color.
• Pellets have a high calorific value. For example, during the combustion of 1 ton of wood elements, the amount of energy generated is the same as when burning 1.6 tons of wood or 500 liters of diesel.
• Boilers running on such biofuel are very convenient to use - a person has to participate in their operation no more than once a week, since all processes are carried out automatically.

In the age of high technology, environmental safety of fuel has become a priority - this is why many homeowners choose pellet heating. However, even such a relatively new development has its weaknesses.

• Boilers that run on pellets are quite expensive (the cost is several times higher than that of classical gas options). Of course, you can also purchase simple burners that can be installed in an existing solid fuel unit.
• Such equipment requires constant care. Every week the heat exchanger in the pellet boiler must be cleaned using a special brush. This is especially true for older units. More modern boilers often have a special self-cleaning system.
• Pellet fuel itself can cost homeowners more than regular firewood.
• Servicing pellet heating units often costs owners a pretty penny.
• The production of some types of pellet fuel is quite expensive (as is the case with peat types).
• Many models of pellet boilers are not suitable for use in the Russian climate.

Consumption

It is necessary to take into account that granulated pellets are a packaging product that is sold in bags of a specific volume. That is why calculate what the consumption of granules will be for 1 kW and 1 sq. m. will not be difficult. There is no need to convert weight into volume, because manufacturers of such a product always register their products in kilograms, and the unit that measures heat is kW.

The correct calculation of granule consumption is carried out in several steps. The result will be the monthly fuel consumption of the boiler during the entire heating season, as well as its average cost. Below we describe in detail how to make all the necessary calculations using the example of an area of ​​100 square meters. m.

First, it is important to understand how much heat actually penetrates the heating system when burning 1 kg of pellets. This stage must be taken into account, since boilers operating from solid fuel are not ideal for directing absolutely all the heat energy received to warm up a private or country house - part of it is still redirected to the chimney pipe. For this purpose, the heat of combustion of particles is multiplied by the efficiency of the heat generator, divided by 100:

5 kW/kg x 80% / 100 = 4 kW/kg.

To make calculations easier, you should use the reverse action to find out how many pellets you need to burn to generate 1 kW of heat under the current circumstances:

1 kW / 4 kW/kg = 0.25 kg.

Since during the heating season the weather outside usually remains unchanged, and the temperature varies from +10 to -30 degrees, the specific heat consumption per season in a house with an area of ​​100 square meters. m will not be 10 kW, but half as much, that is, 5 kW. If we take into account that all power units refer to a time of 1 hour, then the heat consumption per day will be:

5 kW/h x 24 hours = 120 kW.

The same, but for a month:

120 W x 30 days = 3600 kW.

3600 kW x 0.25 kg/kW = 900 kg.

If you need to know the approximate consumption of pellets from wood waste per day, then you should make the following calculation:

120 kW x 0.25 kg/kW = 30 kg.

Features of pellet boilers

As mentioned earlier, pellet boilers are highly efficient, but are quite expensive. Such units have the following components in their design:

• compartment intended for pellet granules;
• mechanism responsible for feeding pellets;
• auto ignition module;
• burner;
• control module with sensors responsible for temperature conditions.

These heating units can be equipped with different types of burners.

• Flare. Fuel combustion in a burner of this type is carried out in an air flow that comes from a supercharger, forming a kind of torch consisting of hot coals. The temperature when using such a burner can reach up to 1200 degrees.
• Fireplace. Otherwise, such a part is called a grate. In this case, the granules themselves are poured into the burner bowl from the compartment with the dispenser. The air in this design comes from the side air duct or holes in the bowl itself.
• Volumetric combustion. Such burners are called rotary. They are a bowl made of cast iron or steel, into which the granules enter through the central part of the retort - from the bottom, and combustion occurs over the entire surface.

The fuel storage bunker in such a unit can be built-in, that is, inseparable from the device itself, or external. In the second case, any design can be used - a plastic barrel, a container with plywood walls and other similar devices.

As for the fuel supply mechanism, it can be:

• screw;
• pneumatic.

Automatic systems in pellet heating units are also different. For example, like this:

• lambda probes;
• local line control systems;
• GSM control systems;
• control via the Internet.

It is in well-thought-out automation that the main distinguishing characteristic of pellet boilers lies. Thanks to this feature, these units are extremely convenient to use, since they do not have to be constantly monitored.

However, we must not forget that today very often pellet granules are not of the highest quality. Low-grade fuel can negatively affect the operation of the boiler. It is also worth considering that in most cases such equipment is dependent on electrical energy. If the house is built in an area where frequent power outages are common, then heating the home may be at risk.

The main disadvantage of such units is the high cost of the pellet-type burners themselves. On the modern market, most models are produced in Germany, Italy and Spain. The cost of some products from well-known and established brands reaches 3,000-6,000 thousand euros. Of course, in stores you can also find domestically made burners, which in many respects are similar to foreign versions, but are much cheaper.

What are pellet boilers, their characteristics and features

The article was prepared with the participation of DOZATECH specialists

Despite the fact that our country is one of the largest exporters of blue fuel, there is no need to talk about widespread gasification. For many consumers both in Moscow and Siberia, the cheapest heating method is unattainable now, and it is not a fact that it will be available in the future. Therefore, we have to look for alternative heating sources; fortunately, the choice in this area is impressive. And in recent years, the range of heating equipment has been supplemented with an interesting unit - a pellet boiler. Let us dwell in more detail on this type of equipment, for which we will consider the following aspects:

• What is a pellet heating boiler and what fuel does it use?
• Unit design.
• Advantages and disadvantages of a pellet boiler.
• What to look for when choosing a unit.

What is a pellet boiler

In essence, this is a type of solid fuel boiler, but designed for a specific type of fuel (pellets) and with the possibility of full or partial automation of the work process.

It is the ability to function autonomously with minimal intervention from the owners that makes pellet boilers radically different from conventional solid fuel boilers.

They have a higher efficiency (efficiency factor) - both due to the characteristics of the pellets and due to the design features. Pellet boilers can be either highly specialized - intended only for pellets, or combined (universal) - capable of running on wood or coal, some models operate on almost any biomass; husks, wood waste and the like can be used as fuel.

Alexander DimitrevRepresentative of DOZATECH, a manufacturer of pellet boilers

With a certain boiler design, it can burn any biomass of very low calorie content - wood chips, bark, wood waste, agricultural waste, sunflower husks and more.

Pellets, or wood pellets, are environmentally neutral fuel, obtained mainly from waste from the wood processing industry (chips, shavings, bark), but they can also be from agricultural waste. Pellets appeared in the thirties of the last century, when the first installation for pressing waste from local sawmills into pellets was invented and tested in the state of Idaho. Under strong pressure, the raw material mass is heated, which provokes the formation of lignin, which binds the smallest particles into dense, smooth granules. This allows you to abandon the use of chemicals - pellets are a completely natural, environmentally safe fuel. The diameter of the granules varies between 6-8 mm, length – up to 50 mm. In European countries, pellets are classified as standardized fuels and are produced according to the DIN plus standard.

In our country, their production is not so developed and supervised; the quality of the granules, on which both the efficiency of the boiler and its performance will depend, is determined visually - white ones are better than gray ones. Unlike wood, pellets have low humidity and increased density, which is why when burning, more heat is released and a minimal amount of carbon dioxide is released. If we translate this property into numbers, for comparison, we get the following ratio: when burning a ton of pellets, the same amount of heat will be released as when burning 1.6 tons of firewood. The ash content will be only 0.5% of the burned volume, and the emitted flue gases will be colorless.

The approximate calorific value of pellets is 5 kW/hour per kilogram, but how close the actual efficiency will be to the theoretical data depends on the quality of the pellets themselves and on the performance of the boiler in which they will be burned.

Unit design

The pellet boiler itself consists of three main components:

• Furnace - equipped with a special burner (retort or torch) and two doors (control, cleaning).
• Convective zone - a heat exchanger is located in it: it can be vertical, horizontal or combined, tubular or plate type. In the convective zone, the coolant in the heat exchanger is heated by gases released during the combustion of pellets. Most units are designed only for heating and have one circuit, but some models have two circuits: heating and water heating.
• Ash pan - it receives combustion waste (insignificant during normal afterburning), which is periodically removed through the cleaning door.

However, the listed components are, although the main part, but only a part, the operation of which requires the APT attachment (automatic fuel supply). This attachment includes the following components:

• A hopper is a container for pellets of a certain volume, from which the pellets enter the combustion chamber; it can be built-in or external.
• Auger – portions feed granules to the burner as needed, driven by a gearbox.
• A fan is necessary to maintain the combustion process, since the boiler design does not provide for natural draft.

Since the pellet boiler is an automated system, its device also includes a control unit with a display, which displays information about the current state, and through which the main operating parameters are set. The controller regulates the ignition of the burner, the supply of pellets and air, and stops when the desired temperature is reached, maintaining the heating mode selected by the owner.

Depending on the capacity of the bunker and the selected mode, one fill can be enough for several days, a week or even more.

To make the heating process fully automatic, the boiler can be connected directly to the storage - a pneumatic pipe will supply granules to the bunker as it is emptied.

Advantages and disadvantages of a pellet boiler

One of the main advantages of pellet boilers is their efficiency; in this indicator they are second only to gas main heating. This is due to the high efficiency of the equipment, the high calorific value of pellets, and their affordable cost. The second aspect that attracts consumers is process automation. Unlike other solid fuel boilers, pellet boilers do not require constant monitoring and regular manual fuel supply. It also wins over units running on diesel fuel in terms of environmental friendliness - no odors or black smoke.

The main disadvantage of these units is their substantial price - these are the most expensive solid fuel units, the cost of an automated station made in Europe is measured in hundreds of thousands, domestic ones are slightly cheaper. Not every private owner can afford such investments into the heating system of their home. However, with equipment longevity now approaching two decades, it is a wise investment in the long term.

In addition to the high cost, the disadvantages include energy dependence - the automation requires electricity, and if a shutdown of several hours (on average up to 10) is acceptable and will not disrupt the settings, then a longer shutdown will stop the operation of the boiler. The station must be equipped with an independent energy source, which will further increase the cost of the system.

What to look for when choosing a unit

Despite the relative “youth” of this type of solid fuel, there is a large selection of boilers of foreign and domestic production on the market. To choose the optimal unit for your conditions, you should pay attention to several important parameters.

Power – each manufacturer has a fairly wide range of models, including both household and industrial units. As with any heating equipment, power is measured in kilowatts (kW), the power of household models starts from 15 kW. Since heating a room with average heat loss requires about 1 kW per 10 m², such a boiler is capable of heating a house of 150 m². However, it is worth considering that the boiler is needed with a small margin.

Recently, in all countries of the world there has been a growing interest in alternative heating sources that are environmentally friendly and affordable. It is precisely these in-demand resources that include a new type of fuel - pellets, small-sized cylindrical wood pellets obtained by pressing wood waste or processing various raw materials.

Making pellets

The pellet production process occurs without the use of glue and chemical additives, which ensures the fuel is absolutely safe and environmentally friendly. The production of biofuel includes several stages:

High-quality biofuels are produced only on high-tech equipment that meets all current standards and parameters. Therefore, it is so important to carefully select a reliable and responsible supplier. Deliveries of any volumes of certified, high-quality pellets are offered by the Russian Forest company, which is located in Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.

Main advantages of pellets

Using original pellets, consumers receive a number of obvious advantages:

Features of using pellets

Today, pellets are used to heat residential, commercial and industrial buildings. The main thing is to correctly select a heating boiler yourself or with the help of professional specialists, taking into account the individual operating conditions and parameters of the facility. Domestic and foreign manufacturers of solid fuel boilers offer a wide range of heating equipment with different power ratings, performance and cost. Among the most famous brands, it is worth noting the brands UNGARO, KLOVER, OkoFEN and BENEKOV.

Specialized and multifunctional boilers of the Kupper series, which are characterized by the following advantages, are very popular among modern Russian consumers:

• Automated loading and control system. After technological adjustment, the boiler ensures that the set temperature is maintained. Fuel is supplied from the bunker as needed without human intervention in automatic mode.
• High efficiency up to 95%.
• Large power range. In the Kupper boiler line, you can select equipment with a power of up to 500 kW or more.
• Long term intensive use. All Kupper boilers are manufactured in compliance with technological norms and European technical standards, guaranteeing a service life of 20 years or more.
• Easy to operate, with a high level of fire and explosion hazard.

The demand for pellets in our country is growing exponentially. It is caused by the affordable price of fuel, excellent operational and technical characteristics of boilers, as well as the constant growth of energy resources and the rapid development of the suburban real estate market.

Let's think for a moment - what is a worthy alternative to traditional types of fuel - diesel fuel, coal, firewood? Perhaps the most worthy replacement will be only natural gas and pellets. Everything is clear with gas, but what are pellets? This solid fuel has become popular relatively recently and its production will require.

But the most interesting thing is that the raw materials for pellets are ordinary sawdust, cereal production waste, straw waste, sunflower husks, without any additives, which means the environmental friendliness of this type of fuel is guaranteed. However, in our latitudes, pellets made from wood waste are most popular. You can also find the following names for the fuel in question: wood fuel pellets, pellets, pellets.

Wood waste is used to produce pellets pressed into small cylinders. Abroad, pellets are quite confidently used for heating boiler houses, both industrial and domestic, because such a material is practically uncompetitive - environmentally friendly, cheap and heat transfer comparable to coal.

If we compare specifically the cost of fuel, then of course natural gas will be several times cheaper, but if we calculate the costs of a new gas connection, the benefits are no longer so obvious. What will happen to gas prices in the future and how safe it is is a question for a separate article.

Pellets are very convenient to use, and they also burn better than regular firewood, due to the fact that they are very dense in structure and very dry, with virtually no excess moisture.

The maximum effect from pellets can be achieved by using special pellet burners and boilers.

Of course, conventional stoves and boilers are also suitable for heating.

Pellet granules are packaged in bags of a certain volume, for example, 15 kg and 30 liters in volume. It is very convenient to store and transport raw materials in such packaging. When storing, it is advisable to keep such fuel in a room with low humidity and without large temperature changes, this way condensation can be avoided.

The main advantages of sawdust pellets

• When burned, the calorific value is higher than that of firewood and wood chips;
• The environmental friendliness of this type of fuel is very high;
• Ash content does not exceed 3%;
• When burned, 15 times less carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere than when burning coal from wood;
• The efficiency of boiler houses when using pellets is higher due to the fact that heat transfer is greater;
• Not subject to spontaneous combustion;
• They do not cause allergies in humans because they do not contain specific dust or debris.