Going Green: Air Burners turn wood waste into power

The machine is based on the companyÂ’s proven standard wood waste disposal systems that are used worldwide, including by the U.S. National Park Service, Department of Energy, the Military and many state agencies. The U.S. Forest Service supports the use of the equipment for forest fuels reduction as highlighted in its Tech Tip publication.

Millions of trees killed by beetle infestations in the Western U.S. and Canada can now be simply converted into clean energy and quickly disposed of at the same time, thereby avoiding the natural decomposition that would result in the massive release of harmful greenhouse gases. This opens the way for rapid reforestation to replace the lost “carbon sink” with new trees that once again will transform carbon dioxide into the oxygen we breathe. The electric power can be sold back into the local electric grid at landfills and transfer stations or used to power public buildings and facilities.

“What is really exciting,” says Brian O’Connor, the firm’s CEO and chief engineer, “is the prospect of bringing plenty of electric power deep into the forest where much of the dead tree disposal, logging and forest restoration takes place. This may make it advantageous for companies like Caterpillar, John Deere, Komatsu or Volvo to expand their Hybrid technologies to rely less on hydrocarbon-based fuels and more on clean electricity.

“With the PowerGen FireBox they now have the means to recharge their batteries on-site from the wood waste that has to be disposed of anyway.”

The electricity is generated by a “turbo-expander” power generator that is integrated into Air Burners’ standard firebox and the heat is collected from the thermo-ceramic refractory walls and very efficiently converted into electricity. The largest system PG327 is priced at $695,000 and the smaller Model PG220 at $395,000. No on-site assembly is required.