Use of biomass furnace for direct air-drying of grain and other particulate

A heating apparatus for supplying heated air to a dryer for particulate materials, said heating apparatus comprising:

• a biomass furnace comprising a burn chamber having an interior space in which combustible biomass material is receivable and combustible to generate heat;
• and
• a chimney attached to the furnace and having a lower end in fluid communication with the interior space of the burn chamber, and an opposing upper end situated in elevated relation to the lower end and outside the furnace to enable release of heated exhaust air from the burn chamber to a surrounding ambient environment;
• air ducting having an output end connected or connectable to the dryer, said air ducting being in fluid communication with the chimney at a location upstream of said output end to enable redirection of said heated exhaust air from the chimney to the dryer via said air ducting;
• a fresh air inlet in fluid communication with both the air ducting and the surrounding ambient environment to admit fresh ambient air from said surrounding environment for mixture with the heated exhaust air to create a mixed airflow composed of both said heated exhaust air and said fresh ambient air;
• and
• an airflow control system configured to control said mixed airflow to the dryer through said air ducting, including temperature control of said airflow by varying a ratio of said fresh ambient air to said heated exhaust air within said airflow;
• wherein the airflow control system includes an intake fan cooperatively installed with the air ducting at a position of upstream relation to the outlet end of the air ducting and downstream relation to the fresh air inlet in order to both draw the fresh ambient air into the air ducting and blow the mixed airflow air onward through said air ducting in a downstream direction toward to the dryer, and the intake fan is installed atop the furnace in neighboring relationship to the chimney.

A heating apparatus for supplying heated air to a dryer for particulate materials, said heating apparatus comprising:

• a biomass furnace comprising a burn chamber having an interior space in which combustible biomass material is receivable and combustible to generate heat;
• and
• a chimney attached to the furnace and having a lower end in fluid communication with the interior space of the burn chamber, and an opposing upper end situated in elevated relation to the lower end and outside the furnace to enable release of heated exhaust air from the burn chamber to a surrounding ambient environment;
• air ducting having an output end connected or connectable to the dryer, said air ducting being in fluid communication with the chimney at a upstream of said output end to enable redirection of said heated exhaust air from the chimney to the dryer via said air ducting;
• a fresh air inlet in fluid communication with both the air ducting and the surrounding ambient environment to admit fresh ambient air from said surrounding environment for mixture with the heated exhaust air to create a mixed airflow composed of both said heated exhaust air and said fresh ambient air;
• and
• an airflow control system configured to control said mixed airflow to the dryer through said air ducting, including temperature control of said airflow by varying a ratio of said fresh ambient air to said heated exhaust air within said airflow;
• wherein the airflow control system comprises an electronic controller having:
• an input terminal connectable to a command signal line of the dryer over which command signals are sent concerning heat requirements of the dryer;
• and
• one or more output terminals connected to mechanical airflow control componentry of the airflow control system for actuation thereof in response to said command signals from the dryer;
• and
• a failsafe output terminal for wired connection to an existing heater of the dryer instead of the command signal line, the electronic controller being configured to send a failsafe activation signal, via the failsafe output terminal, to the existing heater of the dryer to command activation thereof upon failure of the heating apparatus to fulfill the heat requirements of the dryer.

A heating apparatus for supplying heated air to a dryer for particulate materials, said heating apparatus comprising:

• a biomass furnace comprising a burn chamber having an interior space in which combustible biomass material is receivable and combustible to generate heat;
• and
• a chimney attached to the furnace and having a lower end in fluid communication with the interior space of the burn chamber, and an opposing upper end situated in elevated relation to the lower end and outside the furnace to enable release of heated exhaust air from the burn chamber to a surrounding ambient environment;
• air ducting having an output end connected or connectable to the dryer, said air ducting being in fluid communication with the chimney at a upstream of said output end to enable redirection of said heated exhaust air from the chimney to the dryer via said air ducting;
• a fresh air inlet in fluid communication with both the air ducting and the surrounding ambient environment to admit fresh ambient air from said surrounding environment for mixture with the heated exhaust air to create a mixed airflow composed of both said heated exhaust air and said fresh ambient air;
• and
• an airflow control system configured to control said mixed airflow to the dryer through said air ducting, including temperature control of said airflow by varying a ratio of said fresh ambient air to said heated exhaust air within said airflow;
• wherein said air ducting includes therein a spark arrestor comprising a round duct, and a perforated screen of helically coiled shape installed within said duct in a position placing a central longitudinal axis of said helically coiled shape in longitudinally lying relationship to said round duct.

A heating apparatus for supplying heated air to a dryer for particulate materials, said heating apparatus comprising:

• a biomass furnace comprising a burn chamber having an interior space in which combustible biomass material is receivable and combustible to generate heat;
• and
• a chimney attached to the furnace and having a lower end in fluid communication with the interior space of the burn chamber, and an opposing upper end situated in elevated relation to the lower end and outside the furnace to enable release of heated exhaust air from the burn chamber to a surrounding ambient environment;
• air ducting having an output end connected or connectable to the dryer, said air ducting being in fluid communication with the chimney at a location upstream of said output end to enable redirection of said heated exhaust air from the chimney to the dryer via said air ducting;
• a fresh air inlet in fluid communication with both the air ducting and the surrounding ambient environment to admit fresh ambient air from said surrounding environment for mixture with the heated exhaust air to create a mixed airflow composed of both said heated exhaust air and said fresh ambient air;
• and
• an airflow control system configured to control said mixed airflow to the dryer through said air ducting, including temperature control of said airflow by varying a ratio of said fresh ambient air to said heated exhaust air within said airflow;
• a chain grate in the burn chamber operable as a moving support atop which a bed of said combustible biomass material can be held, and advanced in a longitudinal travel direction through the burn chamber on a top run of said chain grate;
• wherein the burn chamber is subdivided into multiple sub-chambers of differing elevation from one another by a divider wall that overlies the chain grate in spaced relation thereover, spans fully across the burn chamber in a lateral direction thereof that is perpendicular to the longitudinal travel direction, spans a majority length of the burn chamber in the longitudinal travel direction from a first end of the burn chamber to a break or opening in the divider wall that resides nearer to an opposing second end of the burn chamber, and thereby blocks direct exhausting of the heated exhaust from the chain grate to the chimney, and forces an indirect exhaust path therebetween.