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Calcimator

Biomass Boiler Calculator

Size a biomass boiler and estimate fuel consumption for wood, pellet, or chip systems.

Inputs

Results

Boiler Capacity

625,000 BTU/hr

Fuel Consumption

97.66 lbs/hr

Annual Fuel (est.)97.66 tons
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter the heating load in BTU/hr — this is your building's peak heat demand.
  2. Select fuel type (wood chips, pellets, logging residue) and set boiler efficiency (%).
  3. Review Boiler Capacity (BTU/hr), Fuel Consumption (lbs/hr), and Annual Fuel estimate (tons).
  4. Compare fuel types to find the best match for your supply chain and storage capacity.

How the result changes with Boiler Efficiency (%)

Boiler Efficiency (%)Boiler CapacityFuel Consumption
55909,091 BTU/hr142.05 lbs/hr
66757,576 BTU/hr118.37 lbs/hr
79632,911 BTU/hr98.89 lbs/hr
91549,451 BTU/hr85.85 lbs/hr

What each input means

Heating Load (BTU/hr)
Peak heating demand in BTU per hour for the space being heated
Fuel Type
1 = Cordwood (~20% MC), 2 = Pellets (~6% MC), 3 = Wood chips (~35% MC)
Boiler Efficiency (%)
Combustion and heat-transfer efficiency of the boiler (modern units: 75-90%)

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    Heating Load (BTU/hr) = 500000, Fuel Type = 1, Boiler Efficiency (%) = 80 = 3 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Boiler Capacity
    Boiler Capacity
    625000 = 625000
  3. Calculate Fuel Consumption
    Fuel Consumption
    97.66 = 97.66
  4. Calculate Annual Fuel
    Annual Fuel
    97.66 = 97.66

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