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Calcimator

Wood Chip Fuel Calculator

Calculate the volume and weight of wood chips needed for a given heating requirement.

Inputs

Results

Chip Volume

20.66 yd³

≈ 11 hot tubs

Chip Weight

6.4 tons

≈ 12 grand pianos

Est. Fuel Cost$278.40
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter your annual heating need in MMBtu.
  2. Set chip moisture content (%) — green chips run 40–50%, air-dried chips 20–30%.
  3. Enter boiler efficiency (%) for your system.
  4. Review Chip Volume (yd³), Chip Weight (tons), and Estimated Fuel Cost ($) for the season.

How the result changes with Boiler Efficiency (%)

Boiler Efficiency (%)Chip VolumeChip Weight
5528.17 yd³8.73 tons
6623.48 yd³7.28 tons
7919.61 yd³6.08 tons
9117.03 yd³5.28 tons

What each input means

Heating Need (MMBtu)
Total seasonal or annual heating requirement in millions of BTU
Chip Moisture (%)
Wet-basis moisture content of wood chips (green chips: 40-55%, seasoned: 20-30%)
Boiler Efficiency (%)
Overall efficiency of the wood chip boiler system (typical: 65-85%)

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    Heating Need (MMBtu) = 50, Chip Moisture (%) = 35, Boiler Efficiency (%) = 75 = 3 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Chip Volume
    Chip Volume
    20.66 = 20.66
  3. Calculate Chip Weight
    Chip Weight
    6.4 = 6.4

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