A Prototype Prototype

for the West for the West

A Solution Solution 

makes $ens

Wildfires in the year 2000 came clos

Pinesdale, the area from where muc

chip fuel for Darby is now com

Darby School Complex in Darby, Montana 

is home to a new form of heat that will serve 

as a prototype for others to follow. Presentation by: Becki Linderman, Bi

 Rick Scheele, Darby 
Left—Tom Coston, with source, Conservation & Area, Inc., makes a presDarby School Board aboFuels for Schools and ththis idea would have for 

Right—Early in 2002 the Darby School 

Board listened attentively to the idea of 

Fuels for Schools and took special interest 

in the savings that could eventually be 

gained in heating costs converting from an 

oil based (non-renewable) system to a 

wood burning (renewable) system. The 

board voted unanimously to adopt the project and move forward with plans. 
A community ground 

breaking ceremony followed the presentation of 

grant money to the Darby 

School District from 

USFS Region 1/Region 

4-State and Private Forestry Division. This followed in the heals of National Fire Plan Objectives and local public interest in hazardous fuels 

reduction following the 

extensive wildfires of 

2000. 

Below left to right: Tom Coston, Mary Lovejoy, Tony Liane, Brad Powell, Sue LeVan, Al Mello and Jack Eggens
What made this project special was deshook into two separate buildings tying iexisting boiler systems. The existing bofunction as backup during extreme cold during extremely mild weather. 

Expansion joints (as seen above) were designed by a local engineering firm to compensate for the distance the steam line had to travel between the two buildings. After being insulated there is very little heat loss. 
Engineered to tie into the existing tem, the new biomass burner, whicHP, replaced two steam operated bhot water boiler which ran at 265 Hsave the community $30,000 to $4heating energy consumption. 

Existing Jr. High boiler being tied into new system. 

A clean tie in at the existing High 

Hot water, from a heat exchanger, is pumped to the existing elementary system. 
A construction worker insulates hot water 

pipes in the elementary hallway with very 

little impact on existing space. 

Hidden overhead, well insulated 

no heat loss. All construction wo

students were gone on sum
Right— The photo shows an overview of the entire project site. You can see the trenching between buildings and beginning stages of the biomass facility construction. Due to the professional execution of the various contractors, the project seemed to fit together like pieces of a puzzle. 

Left– During early summer, the shows the forming of where thchips will be stored in the new bbuilding while construction worthe tie in of steam lines and util
The above photo shows the pconcrete for the foundation wchip storage and boiler area omass heating facility. 

The photo below shows the initial forming of the foundation walls for the Biomass Heating Facility. The high school can be seen in the background. 
The photo to the left shows the placement of the wood chip gasifier into the broiler room. The gasifier is the firsstage of the wood chip burning process. 

On the right, crews align the gasifier on the pad in the boiler room. 

The photo to the left shows placement of the steam boilon top of the gasifier. 
One of many field visit to Darby School’s new biomass heating facility. The 

project was nearing completion. From left to right: Nan Christiansen, Sue 

LeVan, Nick Salmon, Dan Stevenson, Tim Maker (Sept. 24,2003) 
This drawing shows the basic mechanics of a typical wood chip burning, biomass s
Shift from 

Fossil Fuel 

To Renewable 

& Sustainable 

Wood 

Treat Ha reat Hazardous F ardous Fuels Chip Waste Chip Waste Wood For Biomass For Biomass 

Fuels 

Reduce 

Heating 

Costs/ 

Save $$ Save $$

for Schools for Schools

Fuels for Schools makes sense not only on the local level but 

nationally as well. These projects are a win/win situation for all 

involved in the economic and environmental cycles. 
These photos show the automated chto the biomass burning system. An aslowly across the bottom of the chip adding the exact amount of chips neconveyor belt based on computer comonitoring. 
Large storatruck accesunloading 

Feeder augers for the biomass unit are controlled by the amount of heat being called for in the two buildings. 

Continuous draft fan helps with consistent efficiency. 
Left-Montana Senator Conrad Burns shows his support for the Darby Fuels for Schools project with students from a Darby high school government class. He let the students know that he hopes they learn and benefit from this exciting technology. 

Darby’s new biomass system sparks interest as well as parents and surrounding communi
Clean burning means less maintenance. These photos show the that the burning is so efficient very little particulate is being released. The internal piping is clean and on a cold day in February all that can be seen outside is a small trail of steam rising from the stack. 
Date TonsMoisture % Temp FAsh/Clean (Gal) Alarms Problem0IL/LP (Gal) Maint (hours) Startup/Shutdown

01/01/04 14?F01/02/04 22?F01/03/04 12.5 15?F 1001/04/04 1?F01/05/04 33% -17?F01/06/04 13.5 -22?F01/07/04 12.6 1?F 10 gal01/08/04 19?F01/09/04 17?F01/10/04 21?F01/11/04 12.7 19?F01/12/04 14?F 10 gal PHILLIPSB01/13/04 14.6 11?F RICK BERG01/14/04 46% 17?F01/15/04 26?F01/16/04 19?F 10 gal01/17/04 14.7 13?F01/18/04 17?F01/19/04 21?F 10 gal01/20/04 24?F LINCOLN, 01/21/04 13?F SHERIDEN01/22/04 12.9 22?F 406-843-42

01/23/04 31?F 10 gal01/24/04 22?F01/25/04 19?F01/26/04 24?F 10 gal EUREKA,M01/27/04 14.2 31?F JASON PE01/28/04 32?F01/29/04 28?F boiler tune-up gayland m.01/30/04 32?F 10 gal01/31/04 13.8 30?F

Tons rem 12.0

Totals 109.5 80 gal 0 gal 0Average 3.5323 40% 17?F 2.6 gal per day

Students in the High School Technology class are 

monitoring the moisture content of the wood chips 

and using forms such as the excel worksheet seen 

in the background. The students help track the 

technical aspects as well as logging in public visitor information. 
Darby & Victor 

Public Schools 

Montana Department Natural Resources & Conservation

USDA Forest Service R1/R4 State & Private Forestry Forest Products Lab Bitterroot National Forest 

Bitter Root Resource Conservation & Development Area, Inc.

Bitterroo

Bitterroo

Partne