Wood-Chip Heating Systems - Biomass Energy Resource Center

fully trained in operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting
the system. The required time allocated
for operator training should be specifi ed in the bid
documents, and the training must be done before
the contractor leaves the site after initial startup. The
contractor must also provide maintenance schedules,
manuals, product literature, and wiring diagrams to
cover all the components of the system.
System Adjustments During the Warranty
Period
The new owners of a biomass system should expect
some things to go wrong in the fi rst year. This is
generally true for any large mechanical system during
its initial year of full operation. It is important to use
this warranty year to get all the bugs out of the system
while it is still the contractor’s and the manufacturer’s
responsibility. If the owner has been careful about
specifying the system and if the contractor has done a
good job, these adjustments will be minor.
At the end of the warranty period, the system
should be operating smoothly with no outstanding
areas of concern. If major areas needing improvement
are identifi ed that are not the responsibility of the
manufacturer or contractor, then it is best to deal with
these problem areas immediately. It is to the owner’s
advantage to have the system running smoothly as
soon as possible, rather than putting off the necessary
improvements and keeping the system in a poor
operating condition.
Ongoing Maintenance
The manufacturer should provide a list of the
required maintenance procedures and recommended
frequency of each one. Some of the most important
maintenance tasks for most systems are:
• ash removal — grates (may be automatic);
• ash removal — under grates;
• boiler tube cleaning (see photo on this page);
• fl y ash removal;
• cleaning of fi re box and other heat exchange
surfaces;
• lubrication;
• inspection of drive chains, belts and gearboxes;
• inspection of refractory;
• checking of safety devices; and
• checking and adjustment of fuel feed rates and
combustion air.
The system operator will learn how fast ash builds
up in key places, and may need to adjust the frequency
of cleaning accordingly. Ash buildup in the heat
exchanger, particularly the boiler tubes, can reduce
effi ciency dramatically. It should be carefully controlled
by cleaning.
The system manufacturer’s service representative
should be hired to come back and tune the system, on
all fi ring levels, once a year.
Maintenance Contracts
The system manufacturer, the installer, or
an experienced contractor may be interested in
providing ongoing maintenance on a contract basis.
A maintenance contract may work well for facilities
where the in-house staff does not have the time or
the capability to handle the wood-chip system’s
maintenance. Maintenance contracts also have the
advantage of building in regular oversight by someone
WOOD CHIP HEATING SYSTEMS
Lyndon Town School,
Lyndon, Vermont
System Size: 1.2 MMBH
Manufacturer: Chiptec
Wood Energy Systems
This system uses an abovegrade
metal silo and
separate boiler house
(which includes garage
space). Silo is loaded
from a receiving bin
(on far left) using an
inclined auger.
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