Air Burners ®: A Game-Changer in Wood Waste Management

Picture this: You’re the owner of a tree service company, and you’ve just finished a large land-clearing project. You’ve done the hard work, but now you’re left staring at a mountain of wood waste. What’s the next step? For many in the industry, the instinct is to reach for the woodchipper. But what if I told you there’s a much better way to handle that wood waste—one that is cleaner and more efficient?

The Old Way: Chipping and Its Challenges

For years, chipping has been the industry standard for dealing with wood waste. We’ve been in this business long enough to know that while chipping breaks down the wood, it doesn’t solve the core problem. What do you do with all those wood chips once they’re produced? Sure, some can be used for mulch, but the bulk of the material often ends up being another logistical headache—either piling up on the job site or requiring transportation to a landfill or biomass plant.

With landfill capacity shrinking and fewer biomass plants accepting wood chips, disposal has become a growing issue. The environmental regulations don’t make it easier, either. Air quality rules and limits on the burning of biomass mean that finding a sustainable, compliant solution is increasingly difficult.

Enter Air Burners: The Future of Wood Waste Management

This is where Air Burners steps in to change the game. Imagine a machine that not only disposes of wood waste but essentially makes it disappear—and does so in a way that’s environmentally sound and cost-efficient. That’s exactly what Air Burners brings to the table. The machines use cutting-edge technology to eliminate wood waste while reducing harmful emissions.

How It Works: The Magic of Air Curtain Technology

You don’t need to be an engineer to appreciate the brilliance of Air Burners’ technology. The backbone of the machines is the air curtain system, a patented technology that revolutionizes how wood is disposed of. Here’s how it works: when the machine is fully up to speed and running, the air coming out of the manifold creates an “air” lid over the top of the combustion chamber. This “lid” traps the particles of smoke under the air curtain for fractions of a second causing them to reburn. This secondary burn reduces the smoke particle size so small it generally looks like heat waves coming out of the FireBox. The whole purpose of the air curtain is to create the secondary burn. The extra air also helps oxygenate the fire to burn as fast as possible.

This clean-burning process ensures that wood waste is eliminated. The remaining byproduct is a approximately 3-5% of the original volume, and it’s composed of ash and biochar, a valuable material that can be used as a soil amendment, helping return carbon to the earth.

Clean Burning: A Breath of Fresh Air

One of the biggest challenges with traditional wood waste disposal methods, like open burning, is the pollution it creates. Open burning releases massive amounts of smoke (particulate matter) and harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, which can contribute to poor air quality and have a negative impact on public health.

Air Burners machines offer a much cleaner alternative. The patented air curtain technology reduces particulate emissions by up to 98% compared to open burning. The reduction in emissions not only helps you comply with environmental standards but also minimizes the health risks associated with smoke inhalation, making it safer for workers and surrounding communities.

From Waste to Power: Now That’s Smart!

Air Burners doesn’t just stop at wood waste disposal—we take it a step further by turning that waste into energy. The portable BioCharger ® and PGFireBox ® are equipped with Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems, which use the heat generated from burning wood waste to create electricity. It’s a simple but incredibly effective process: the heat from the combustion chamber vaporizes a working fluid, which drives a turbine and generates power. This system requires no secondary fuel and can help turn wood waste disposal into an energy-generating process.

Imagine that—getting rid of waste and producing power simultaneously. Municipalities, agricultural operations, and forestry services can not only eliminate wood waste but also offset energy costs. It’s a win-win situation: cleaner waste management and renewable energy generation all in one package.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Versatility of Air Burners Machines

One of the most impressive things about Air Burners is their versatility. Whether you’re a small tree service company handling a local project or a large operation dealing with massive volumes of wood waste after a storm, there’s a machine that fits your needs.

For smaller jobs, like orchard pruning or municipality parks and rec cleanup, Air Burners offers models like the BurnBoss ®, a highly portable machine that’s easy to tow from site to site. It’s perfect for smaller-scale projects where mobility and convenience are key.

On the other hand, for large-scale operations like post-storm clean-up or extensive land clearing, Air Burners has high-capacity models designed to handle significant volumes of wood waste quickly and efficiently. These machines are built to eliminate the need for multiple pieces of equipment and reduce the logistical nightmare of transporting waste to off-site locations. Instead, Air Burners machines are portable and can be set up on-site, eliminating waste where it’s generated.

Scalability: From Small Jobs to Large Operations

No two jobs are alike, and Air Burners understands that. The machines are scalable, meaning they can be adapted to fit projects of all sizes. For example, a small municipality might use a BurnBoss for seasonal pruning projects, while a larger forestry company could employ one of the larger portable models to manage the debris from logging operations or wildfire mitigation.

And the best part? The portability of these machines means you don’t have to worry about transporting large amounts of waste over long distances. You can bring the machine to the job site, whether you’re clearing land in a remote forest or managing post-disaster clean-up in an urban area.

The Bottom Line: Cost-Effective, Efficient, and Sustainable

At the end of the day, Air Burners isn’t just about offering another piece of equipment—it’s about offering a comprehensive solution to a problem that has plagued the wood waste management industry for years. The clean-burning technology, combined with energy recovery and scalability, makes Air Burners machines an incredibly attractive option for anyone dealing with wood waste disposal.

So, the next time you’re faced with a mountain of wood waste and the usual chipping and hauling routine feels like a burden, remember there’s a smarter, more sustainable option available. Contact AirBurners today and find out how you can turn your wood waste problem into an opportunity for cleaner operations. Your future self—and your bottom line—will thank you.