Wood chip optimizer

A method of conditioning a plurality of wood chips comprising the steps of:

• a. feeding the wood chips onto a wood chip conditioner having two rolls, each roll having an outer surface and being rotatable, the two rolls being disposed adjacent to each other and defining a nip therebetween, the outer surface of each roll forming a conditioning surface having a series of sequentially alternating peaks and valleys radially circumscribing the roll so that a substantially sinusoidal pattern longitudinally extends along the outer surface of the roll;
• and
• b. pulling the wood chips into and through the nip of the wood chip conditioner so that the wood chips pass individually therethrough, wherein a wood chip having desired surface dimensions passing through the nip contacts at least a portion of one peak on one roll and at least a portion of one peak on the other roll, wherein the portions of the conditioning surfaces contacting that wood chip bend and compress that wood chip, whereby the wood chips are destructured.

A method of removing bark attached to wood chips, comprising the steps of:

• a. feeding the wood chips having bark attached thereto onto a wood chip conditioner having two rolls, each roll having an outer surface and being rotatable, the two rolls being disposed adjacent to each other and defining a nip therebetween, the outer surface of each roll forming a conditioning surface having a series of sequentially alternating peaks and valleys radially circumscribing the roll so that a substantially sinusoidal pattern longitudinally extends along the outer surface of the roll;
• and
• b. pulling the wood chips having bark attached thereto into and through the nip of the wood chip conditioner so that the wood chips pass individually therethrough, wherein a wood chip having desired surface dimensions passing through the nip contacts at least a portion of one peak on one roll and at least a portion of one peak on the other roll, wherein the portions of the conditioning surfaces contacting that wood chip bend and compress that wood chip, whereby at least a portion of the bark from the wood chips is removed by the bending and compression that the wood chips experience passing through the nip.

A method of treating wood chips having moisture therein to be used as fuel, comprising the steps of:

• a. feeding the wood chips onto a wood chip conditioner having two rolls, each roll having an outer surface and being rotatable, the two rolls being disposed adjacent to each other and defining a nip therebetween, wherein the outer surface of each roll forms a conditioning surface having a series of sequentially alternating peaks and valleys radially circumscribing the roll so that a substantially sinusoidal pattern longitudinally extends along the outer surface of the roll;
• and
• b. pulling the wood chips into and through the nip of the wood chip conditioner so that the wood chips passing therethrough are compressed and destructured, whereby at least a portion of the moisture in the wood chips is removed therefrom.