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Small and Smaller: New challenges and solutions for moving smallwood

This article discusses the challenges and solutions related to moving smallwood, including anticipating challenges, merchandizing, harvesting, and biomass harvesting. It also explores the reduction in available supply of larger trees, fuel reduction, and adaptation. The article highlights significant trends in fire, security, economic impacts, and environmental concerns. Various solutions are presented, such as matching equipment to tasks, accumulating/pre-bunch felling, and mulching.

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Small and Smaller: New challenges and solutions for moving smallwood

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  1. Small and Smaller: New challenges and solutions for moving smallwood Bob Rummer US Forest Service Auburn, AL

  2. Outline • Anticipating smallwood challenges • Merchandizing • Smallwood harvesting • Smallest wood (biomass) harvesting

  3. Smallwood • Reduction in available supply of larger trees • Fuel reduction • Adaptation Idaho City, ID

  4. Significant Trends • Fire • I&D

  5. Significant Trends • Security • Economic impacts • Environmental

  6. Its all about the green … Photo: Barry Wynsma

  7. Costs define … • What trees are cut (the perceived value of the treatment) • What biomass has value in the market • What product sorting, processing, merchandizing occurs

  8. Example

  9. Renewable Oil Int’l Bio-oil Assume: GreenGas $1.75/gal

  10. Example

  11. Expensive to work with smallwood • Driven by volume/piece • Underutilization of equipment

  12. Solutions • Match equipment to task • Accumulate/pre-bunch

  13. Felling, Processing, Piling Cost $/ton 140 Mechanized 120 100 80 60 40 Manual 20 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 dbh (in)

  14. Payload is key

  15. Add the money

  16. More efficient alternatives • Mulching • Piling Photo: Don Peterson Photo: Barry Wynsma

  17. Integrated product recovery “The cheapest way to get the 4” stick is when it is attached to an 8” stick.” Steve Aulerich

  18. Integrated recovery

  19. Recovery of energy wood Harvest Cost Rec. Vol $10/gt $7.50/gt $9/gt 50% 85% 84% Conventional One-pass energywood Two-pass energywood

  20. What about something new?

  21. Improve efficiency: Harwarders • Several designs • Reduced handling • Low-impact Valmet 801 Combi

  22. 2nd Thin Final harvest CTL Dual Combi CTL Dual Combi Performance Min/m3 20 1st Thin 18 16 14 12 Site Move 10 Forward 8 Harvest 6 4 2 0 CTL Dual Combi

  23. System Productivity • Removed ~9 CCF/acre, 3.8 PMH/acre • Elemental times ~16 min/CCF • Gross time ~25 min/CCF • Misc. elements nearly half of all operating time • Production rates similar to the Scandinavian studies

  24. TimberPro TF 820-E • 250 to 300 hp • 23’ reach w/6’ • 10.5’ wide, 33’ long • 52000 lbs • $460K • Dual technology

  25. What if your skidder was never empty? Improve efficiency: cycle time Photo: MTDC

  26. Increasing recovery of residues

  27. Forwarding residues, Flagstaff, AZ Low density

  28. Improve payload

  29. Improve payload • 14 ton forwarder • 9 ton payload • ~$90,000 Continental Biomass Industries BTS-1

  30. Improve payload Photo: Dan Len

  31. Photo: BLM, Alturas

  32. Swath harvesters Nicholson-Koch Mobile Chipharvester, 1980

  33. Merchandizing energy • Product is btu’s • Unique spec’s

  34. Energy value includes … • Energy inputs • Emissions

  35. Summary • Changing world for smallwood recovery • The smallest fraction will likely be merchandized for energywood • New technology to address barriers • Improved handling efficiency • Improved payload • Processing for value • Its an exciting time to be working in the woods

  36. The Future

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