Monthly Archives: July 2018
How a Government Program to Get Ethanol from Plants Failed
Cellulosic ethanol (ethanol from plants) production in the United States could increase to as much as 75 billion gallons a year if regulators would clean up EPA laws. Apparently, former EPA Administrator Mr. Pruitt used confusing laws to hold up progress, and instead of an ethanol boom, we’re producing a mere 10 million gallons of […]
Making Log Troughs Easier to Maintain and Assemble
Last week we looked at the standard designs for log decks. When researching them, we also looked at log troughs and likewise weren’t satisfied with the designs we found. So, we spent extra time on the front end designing a product that really works and meets the real-life demands of sawmills and other lumber-processing plants. […]
Engineering a Better Log Deck
If a lumbermill asked to build a tree-length log deck, how would you do it? You’d probably first ask how it is usually done. Log decks are commonly built with a single, large head shaft with massive bearings and an exposed drive sprocket. Some decks use two- and three-piece head shafts with couplings—an improvement against […]
Problems and Solutions for Biomass Conveyor Designs
Imagine a typical biomass conveyor: it’s designed with a single chain that runs along the center of the floor and through the biomass, which smooth, metal paddles—that extend to the conveyor’s walls—drag via the chain drive. The conveyor is held aloft with multiple support structures. Not every biomass conveyor is designed this way, but many […]
