In This Article:
- The effects of an open-air burn
- The advantages of using an air curtain burner
- How an air curtain burner affects your ability to obtain a burn permit
In order to know why an air curtain incinerator is useful, it is first important to know what it is and how it works.
Why it Helps
In principle, an air curtain is valuable because it contains a fire and the smoke and sparks that result from it.
An air curtain incinerator speeds up burns by making the fire much hotter and more efficient. This saves two valuable resources, time and money, but in a sustainable way. How so? An air curtain incinerator reduces smoke, sparks, and emissions, making the burn safer, reducing the risk of accidental wildfire, and reducing the impact on the environment.
How it Works
An air curtain burner is a machine that circulates and feeds air and oxygen into the fire as it blows across (and into) a burn pit or box. The smoke and sparks are trapped beneath the curtain- except for when it is temporarily broken by debris being dropped into it. Once the debris has fallen completely under the curtain of air, it once again completely covers the pit. From the time the debris is dropped into the pit until the time when the smoke and sparks are concealed again, only a few seconds will have passed. The fire inside, well-oxygenated and contained, becomes extremely hot. On average, temperatures reach between 1800-2400 degrees Fahrenheit.
On the other hand, an open-air burn is a fire that is exposed and is not contained to a pit or box. This allows for greater quantities of CO2, smoke, and uncontrolled sparks to be released, leading to hazardous situations such as forest fires, poor air quality, and difficulty breathing. As a result, it is typically easier to obtain a burn permit when the fire will be contained by an air curtain burner. Additionally, an open burn releases much of the fire’s heat instead of containing it within the fire, creating a slower burn process.
Open Burning vs Air Curtain Burning: In Conclusion
The overall difference between open burning and air curtain burning is that when using an air curtain burner you can burn debris at a faster rate and in a safer way than when open burning. This means your project will be safer and more efficient and it will likely be easier to obtain a burn permit.
While an open burn may be allowed and even good to get rid of a small amount of yard clippings at home (check with your locality in regards to laws affecting yard burns at home before burning any fires on your property), a large-scale burn is all-around better, safer, and more efficient when conducted with an air curtain burner.