A Pile of Heat

I completed a cutting and splitting a large load of hickory logs this weekend. It is a joy to behold. It is a big pile of heat. Hickory is second only to black locust in the amount of heat it generates per cord burned. It is dense, heavy, and splits well with a hydraulic splitter. Lots of BTUs are laying ready to load in the wood stove. I figure I have 1.5 to 2 cords of hickory, or up to 39 million BTUs of heat. Now if I had the stove cranked, I would be burning 55,000 BTUs per hour. At that rate I could run the stove at full steam for 30 days with my pile of hickory. Needless to say, we don't have to wear sweaters in the house.

BTU = the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of a pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit.

Energy Values for Hickory

Density(lb./cu.ft.) 50.9
Weight per cord (lb.) 4327
BTUs per cord(millions) 27.7
Recoverable BTUs per cord (millions) 19.39