Publication
Title
Comparative analysis of harvesting machines on an operational high-density short rotation woody crop (SRWC) culture : one-process versus two-process harvest operation
Author
Abstract
Short rotation woody crops (SRWCs) are being studied and cultivated because of their potential for bioenergy production. The harvest operation represents the highest input cost for these short rotation woody crops. We evaluated three different harvesting machines representing two harvesting systems at one operational large-scale SRWC plantation. On average, 8 ton ha(-1) of biomass was harvested. The cut-and-chip harvesters were faster than the whole stem harvester; and the self-propelled harvester was faster than the tractor-pulled. Harvesting costs differed among the harvesting machines used and ranged from 388 (sic) ha(-1) to 541 (sic) ha(-1). The realized stem cutting heights were 15.46 cm and 16.00 cm for the tractor-pulled stem harvester and the self-propelled cut-and-chip harvester respectively, although a cutting height of 10 cm was requested in advance. From the potential harvestable biomass, only 77.4% was harvested by the self-propelled cut-and-chip harvester, while 94.5% was harvested by the tractor-pulled stem harvester. An increase of the machinery use efficiency (i.e. harvest losses, cost) is necessary to reduce costs and increase the competitiveness of biomass with other energy sources. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Biomass and bioenergy. - London
Publication
London : 2013
ISSN
0961-9534
DOI
10.1016/J.BIOMBIOE.2013.07.003
Volume/pages
58 (2013) , p. 333-342
ISI
000330490600035
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
System analysis of a bio-energy plantation: full greenhouse gas balance and energy accounting. (POPFULL)
ICOS Flanders: Ecosystem Infrastructure for Integrated Carbon Observing System.
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 07.03.2014
Last edited 09.10.2023
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