‘Biomass reaction’ combusts fuel from within

Biomass Magazine January 2010
By Lisa Gibson
Posted January 7, 2010, at 4:07 p.m. CST

Biomass reaction, a patented technology by Iowa-based Kimberlin, Inc., combusts biowaste for heating or cooling in commercial spaces, and is being further developed to produce electricity.

The process combusts biomass, typically animal and poultry wastes, wood fuels and agricultural materials, from within the fuel mass, with what the company calls a tornado of fire. Instead of external energy collection, the process uses the energy created from the inside of the burn. “Nobody’s ever done this before,” says owner John Kimberlin. “It burns within itself.”

Heat output varies with the size of the furnace, but can range from 175,000 Btu per hour to 750,000. “Our piece of equipment will be your basic heat source for your building,” Kimberlin said. The technology is used in two Kimberlin products currently: Nature’s Furnace, which is a hot air combustor that can produce up to 500,000 Btu; and the Bio-Power boiler, which is a fluid unit that can produce up to 750,000 Btu, according to Kimberlin. Four Nature’s Furnaces have been sold in Europe, with 20 to 30 pending, according to the company. Prices range from $150,000 to $500,000, depending on energy output and selected options.

Read the full story