Harvest and Delivery of Biomass: the Critical Barrier

1
Harvest and Delivery of Biomass the Critical
Barrier

• Bob Rummer
• Forest Operations Research

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US Forest Biomass Inventory
3
Biomass is Everywhere
Introduction
4
New Opportunities
Introduction
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Very Different Tasks

• Forest industry residues
• Logging residues
• Forest treatment residues
• Fuelwood harvesting
• Understory biomass harvesting

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Why is it such an issue?

• Cost of feedstock is biggest single cost

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Impact

• Site productivity
• Carbon footprint

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Logging

• Sawlogs/pulpwood residues
• Treatment of residual stand?

Biomass Logging Residues
90
10
9
Integrated Operations
Woody Feedstocks Logging Residues
Montana
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Integrated Functions

• Felling
• Extraction
• Processing

Mississippi
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Roadside Clean Chipping
Biomass Logging Residues
83
17
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Issues

• Integrated recovery is cheaper
• Interactions/interference can add cost
• Critical to understand the ratio of various
  products

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In-woods Processing
Biomass Logging Residues
Medicine Bow NF--Wyoming
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Collecting Slash

• Grapple skidders
• Forwarding slash in regular forwarders
• Forwarding slash on extended forwarders
• Forwarding slash on compacting forwarders
• Slash compaction with bundles
• Slash compaction without ties
• Terrain chipping

Biomass Logging Residues
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Production Model

• Biomass Prep
• Felling
• Slashing
• Bunching
• Mulching

• Biomass Transport
• Collection
• Loaded travel
• Unloading
• Empty travel

Biomass Logging Residues
16
Dump Box Forwarder
Woody Feedstocks Logging Residues
17
Forwarding or Skidding
Biomass Logging Residues
Coconino NF--Arizona
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Compacting Forwarder

• 14 ton forwarder
• 9 ton payload
• 90,000

Biomass Logging Residues
19
Composite Residue Logs
Woody Feedstocks Logging Residues
20
Compaction
Woody Feedstocks Logging Residues
21
Integrated CTL
Woody Feedstocks Logging Residues
22
In-woods Recovery

• Recovering logging residues from the stand is
  costly
• Technology is evolving to find residue compaction
  methods that work
• Simpler seems better
• BundlingCompaction 20/bdt
• Terrain ChippingForwarding 30/bdt

Woody Feedstocks Logging Residues
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Fuel Thinning
Woody Feedstocks Fuelwood Harvest
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Fuel thinning
Woody Feedstocks Fuelwood Harvest
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Fuel thinning
Woody Feedstocks Fuelwood Harvest
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Fuelwood Harvesting

• Small tree harvest
• Thinning technology
• New equipment to address product recovery and the
  smallwood problem

Woody Feedstocks Logging Residues
27
Brush and understory harvest

• Brushlands (TX, MN, NV)
• Understory biomass (coastal plain)

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Woody Feedstocks Understory Harvest
Photo BLM, Alturas
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Mulched and Baled
Woody Feedstocks Understory Harvest
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Univ. of Laval
Woody FeedstocksUnderstory Harvest
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NCSU Harvester
Woody Feedstocks Understory Harvest
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Swath Harvesting

• Integration of felling/chipping/packing
• Size issue
• Forwarding comminuted material
• Product form and fuel quality issue

Woody Feedstocks Understory Harvest
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Integrated Harvest in Finland
Woody Feedstocks Stump Harvest
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Stump Harvesting
Woody Feedstocks Stump Harvest
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Biomass Processing

• Transportation density
• Value added
• Very specific feedstock specifications

Woody Feedstocks Processing
36
Woody Feedstocks Processing
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Renewable Oil Intl

• Fast pyrolysis
• 20 dtpd
• www.renewableoil.com

Woody Feedstocks Processing
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Biomass Value

• Clean?

Woody Feedstocks Processing
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Biomass Transport

• Maximize payload
• Access requirements
• Carbon footprint

Woody Feedstocks Transport
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Biomass Transport
Woody Feedstocks Transport
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Biomass Transport
Woody Feedstocks Transport
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Biomass Transport
Woody Feedstocks Transport
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Trucking 100 ton-mi/gal
Woody Feedstocks Transport
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Rail 450 ton-mi/gal
Woody Feedstocks Transport
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Summary

• Wide array of technology
• Operational differences between US and
  Scandinavian applications
• Cost vs. value
• Carbon footprint of biomass operations will be
  critical