Air Curtain Burners are machines that have been around for a long time, but are only recently gaining popularity, largely due to a heightened emphasis on green and sustainable practices and forest-fire risk reduction. Air Curtain Burners circulate air over and through a pit in the ground or a box above the ground. Ultimately, air curtain burners result in hotter, more efficient, less risky, and more environmentally friendly fires. In almost every case, an air curtain burner is the fastest and cheapest way to get rid of debris.
You might be wondering if it’s worth getting an air curtain burner for your project. Here are some questions and answers that can help you determine if an air curtain burner is the solution to your debris problem:
How quickly can an air curtain burner burn through my wood debris? Air curtain burners, on average, burn through 9-11 tons per hour; this is equal to 65-79 cubic yards per hour, or 3- 4 dump truck loads every hour. We have a full Cost & Time Calculator here on our website that can help you more thoroughly calculate your production capabilities with different air curtain burner models.
Will an air curtain burner really burn my debris with less smoke? An air curtain burner, when used correctly, dramatically reduces the smoke and sparks that escape from the fire. Air curtain burners reduce spoke opacity by 95%.
How much debris will I be left with after burning with an air curtain burner? Air curtain burners typically reduce debris volume by 97%. So, if you start with 100 cubic yards of debris, you can expect around 3 cubic yards of ash. Comparatively, grinding wood debris typically reduces debris volume by 40%, which leaves you with a substantial amount of debris to manage even after you are finished.
Do air curtain burners really reduce emissions? Air curtain burners reduce emissions. First, compared to hauling, burning on-site already means that there will not be truck emissions from hauling the debris long distances. But even compared to open-burning on site, air curtain burners have a more complete combustion since the fast-moving curtain of air traps and forces the recombustion of smoke and particles, like black carbon, by as much as 98%. One study by the USDA Forestry Service stated, “The air curtain incinerator tested gave approximately a 23-fold reduction in PM2.5 emissions over pile burns and a 33-fold reduction over understory burns.
What is the most common mistake when burning with an air curtain burner? The most common mistake people make when burning with an air curtain burner would probably be either stacking their debris above the curtain of air or not making the walls of their pit straight enough. Stacking debris too high, where the wood piles up into the top of the pit where the air comes out, will break the air curtain. This will make the fire less efficient, exposing the manifold of the machine to heat that could damage it, and will allow smoke, sparks, and emissions to escape from the fire. Having very uneven pit walls or having a pit that is longer than the machine’s manifold will cause similar problems.
Is there any training available for using air curtain burners? Burn Debris LLC has put together multiple training resources and can help you learn how to set up and use your air curtain burner. If you rent from Burn Debris, each rental will come with a complimentary video-call orientation and walk-through of your machine. Burn Debris also provides in-person training services and training video production services for a fee.
Does it make more sense to buy or rent an air curtain burner? If you have large clearing projects with frequency (15 acres or more every 1-2 months), a landfill, or perhaps even a tree business, it would make sense to buy an air curtain burner since it will be a permanent solution to your continuous debris stream. If you have a singular clearing project, such as when building a subdivision or solar farm, or if you do clearing projects infrequently or are cleaning up after an isolated event, such as a hurricane, then it would make more sense to rent an air curtain burner since the overall cost is much lower.
Are there jobs that are too big or too small for air curtain burners to be effective? There are no jobs too large for an air curtain burner to be effective. One excavator can feed up to 4 air curtain burners continuously, and multiple burners can be used at the same time (so long as local regulations and spacing allow it). However, it does not make sense to use an air curtain burner on small, residential tree jobs or to burn through old documents, even when there are many of them.
How much does it cost to buy an air curtain burner? Air curtain burners range widely in cost depending on the exact type, size, brand, and if they are new or used. New box air curtain burners tend to cost between $160,000 up to $300,000 for standard units, or even up to $1,000,000 or more for electricity or biochar generating units. Used box air curtain burners will often cost around $150,000 to $200,000 when purchased from a dealer who refurbishes and warranties them. New trench air curtain burners tend to cost between $70,000-$90,000, and used trench air curtain burners typically cost between $50,000 and $80,000 when purchased from a dealer who refurbishes and warranties them.