Small and Smaller: New challenges and solutions for moving

smallwood

Bob RummerUS Forest ServiceAuburn, AL

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

Smallwood Reduction in available

supply of larger trees Fuel reduction Adaptation

Idaho City, ID

Significant Trends Fire I&D

Significant Trends Security Economic impacts Environmental

Its all about the green …

Photo: Barry Wynsma

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

ExampleStand Component Prescription Products

<3”3-6”6-12”topwood

Cut & leaveCut & removeSelectionRemove

NoneEnergywoodSmall sawlogEnergywood

Assume: GreenGas $1.75/gal

Renewable Oil Int’l Bio-oil

ExampleStand Component Prescription Products

<3”3-6”6-9”9-12”topwood

Cut & leaveCut & removeSelectionSelectionRemove

EnergywoodEnergywoodEnergywoodSmall sawlogEnergywood

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

Solutions Match equipment to

task Accumulate/pre-bunch

Felling, Processing, Piling Cost

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0 2 4 6 8 10dbh (in)

$/ton

Manual

Mechanized

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

0 200 400 600 800

Dist (ft)

Cyc

le t

ime

(min

) Manual

Animal

Tractor

Skidder

Forwarder

Payload is key

Add the money

$0.00

$5.00

$10.00

$15.00

$20.00

$25.00

$30.00

$35.00

0 200 400 600 800

Distance (ft)

$/g

t

Manual

Animal

Tractor

Skidder

Forwarder

More efficient alternatives Mulching Piling

Photo: Don Peterson

Photo: Barry Wynsma

Integrated product recovery

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

Integrated recovery

Recovery of energy wood

ConventionalConventional

One-pass energywoodOne-pass energywood

Two-pass energywoodTwo-pass energywood

50%50%

85%85%

84%84%

Rec. VolRec. Vol

$10/gt$10/gt

$7.50/gt$7.50/gt

$9/gt$9/gt

Harvest CostHarvest Cost

What about something new?

Several designs Reduced handling Low-impact

Valmet 801 CombiValmet 801 Combi

Improve efficiency: Harwarders

Performance

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

CTL Dual Combi

Site Move

Forward

Harvest

Min/m3

1st Thin

CTL Dual Combi

2nd Thin

CTL Dual Combi

Final harvest

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

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

Improve efficiency: cycle time What if your skidder

was never empty?

Photo: MTDC

Increasing recovery of residues

Low density

Forwarding residues, Flagstaff, AZForwarding residues, Flagstaff, AZ

Improve payload

Improve payload

14 ton forwarder 9 ton payload ~$90,000

Continental Biomass Industries

BTS-1

Improve payload

Photo: Dan Len

Photo: BLM, Alturas

Swath harvesters

Nicholson-Koch Mobile Chipharvester, 1980

Merchandizing energy Product is btu’s Unique spec’s

Energy value includes … Energy inputs Emissions

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

The Future