Firewood Drying Kilns

We manufacture specialist log drying kilns with capacities ranging from 20 to 100 cubic metres. The kilns are heated by hot water and can be connected to either an automatic wood chip boiler or hand loaded log burning gasification boiler. Our small modular kilns are designed to allow for low cost expansion by adding additional modules to an existing kiln. A 20 cubic metre capacity log drying kiln can be extended to a 40 or even 60 cubic metre capacity kiln as demand for your product increases. Many of our customers have successfully registered under the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme which is giving them a very fast payback on their capital outlay together with a lucrative income stream over their 20 year index linked contracts. Kiln dried logs have many advantages when compared to freshly cut logs which are a very poor source of energy, are difficult to light, produce a lot of smoke when burning and cause damage to chimneys due to a build-up of creosote, this in turn increases the risk of chimney fires. When logs have been recently cut, depending upon the species, they will have a moisture content of between 50 & 80%. At these levels of moisture content each kilogram of wood can contain between 500 and 800 grams of water. Therefore, a log weighing 1500 grams with a moisture content of 50% contains half a litre of water. This means that most of the energy in the freshly cut log is used to evaporate the moisture and very little for the primary purpose of producing heat. Another factor for consideration is the amount of air required to burn wood at high moisture content; remember each cubic metre of air flowing up the chimney is an extra cubic metre of fresh cold air coming into a room which has to be heated. Other advantages of using kiln dried logs is that at the kilning temperature of 70 degrees centigrade sterilizes the logs and removes all trace of wood boring insects etc., When dry and burnt efficiently wood is a renewable carbon neutral source of energy.

For more information on Firewood Drying Kilns talk to Kiln Services Ltd