Particle size distribution of Japanese cedar chip converted from boards using a disc chipper and its relationships with disc rotation speed and board feed speed

Abstract

Abstract The effects of disc chipper rotation speed and raw material feed speed on the particle size distribution of wood chips produced were investigated to develop an efficient technique for producing ideal sized chips for the stable operation of combined heat and power plants. The particle size distribution of wood chips was measured using a screening method and approximated to a Rosin–Rammler distribution to calculate the median of the chip. The results suggest that chip size decreased as the rotation speed increased from 560 to 720 rpm, but no clear effect of feed speed on the chip size was observed. The Rosin–Rammler equation was found to be appropriate to explain the size distribution of wood chips. Two types of screening sieves, woven wire mesh sieve and perforated plate sieve, were used for the screening. It was found that the woven wire mesh sieve may underestimate the size of the chip, although the Rosin–Rammler equation derived from the woven wire mesh sieve was able to be converted to the equation for the perforated plate sieve.

Keywords

• Wood chip
• Particle size distribution
• Rosin–Rammler distribution