Beehive burner
A wood waste burner, known as a teepee burner or wigwam burner in the United States and a beehive burner in Canada, is a free-standing conical steel structure usually ranging from 30 to 60 feet in height. They are named for their resemblance to beehives, teepees or wigwams. A sawdust burner is cylindrical. They have an opening at the top that is covered with a steel grill or mesh to keep sparks and glowing embers from escaping. Sawdust and wood scraps are delivered to an opening near the top of the cone by means of a conveyor belt or Archimedes' screw, where they fall onto the fire near the center of the structure.
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Teepee or beehive burners are used to dispose of waste wood in logging yards and sawdust from sawmills by incineration. As a result, they produce a large quantity of smoke and ash, which is vented directly into the atmosphere without filtering, contributing to poor air quality. The burners are considered to be a major source of air pollution and have been phased out in most areas. There are a few beehive burners remaining in Western Canada.
Teepee burners went out of general use in the Northwestern United States in the early 1970s, and are prohibited from operation in Oregon,[1] as well as southwestern Washington state.[2] The wood waste is now used as a component in various forest products, such as pellet fuel, particle board and mulch.
Gallery
- Wigwam burner in Halfway, Oregon
- Wigwam burner in Drain, Oregon
- Wigwam burner near Swisshome, Oregon
- Wigwam burner near Mapleton, Oregon
- Wigwam burner at a Louisiana-Pacific lumber plant in Post Falls, Idaho (May 1973)
See also
- Air pollution in British Columbia
- Clean Air Act of 1970
References
External links
- Keefer, Bob (May 4, 2003). "A Burner Obsession". The Register-Guard (via The Free Library). Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- Historic images of teepee burners in Oregon from Salem Public Library
- Rusty Relics: Teepee Burners