Harvest, Logistics and Supply Chain Management
The Team:Tim Volk (Lead), Nate Anderson (Co-Lead), Chad Bolding, Damon Hartley, Jude
Liu, and Jingxin Wang.
Harvest, Logistics and Supply Chain Management aims to demonstrate efficient and effective harvest and logistics strategies for an optimized supply chain of integrated biomass crops and forest residues for continuous industrial use. Engage with our research to gain insights into the enhancement of biomass supply chain efficiency, contributing to a more sustainable and effective industrial process.
PUBLICATIONS
1. Optimization of Combined Hydrothermal and Mechanical Refining Pretreatment of Forest Residue Biomass for Maximum Sugar Release during Enzymatic Hydrolysis
Upcycling Forest Residue Biomass (FRB) to biofuel and high-value bioproducts can support the development of a sustainable bioeconomy while simultaneously reducing waste, mitigating wildfire risks, and minimizing environmental impacts. One of the most critical steps in FRB processing is the production of sugars from carbohydrate hydrolysis. This study aimed to investigate the effect of chemical-free two-stage hydrothermal and mechanical refining pretreatment on improving the sugar yields during enzymatic hydrolysis and optimize the pretreatment conditions.
Pretreatment of Forest Residue Biomass for Maximum Sugar Release
2. Harvesting Systems for Short Rotation Coppice Crops Influence Cost, Performance, and Biomass Quality.
Harvester performance during the growing season or with wet ground conditions increases GHG emissions and costs. This study focuses on the current state of knowledge of harvesting systems for SRC and the impact that factors like yield, harvesting season, and ground conditions have on harvester throughput and fuel use. The quality of biomass from these harvesting systems and the impact that harvesting management decisions have on GHG emissions and production costs are also summarized.
Harvesting Systems for Short-rotation Copice Crops
3. Beyond the basics: A Perspective on barriers and opportunities for scaling up biochar production from forest slash
The insights of this study provides a comprehensive roadmap outlining both the struggles and the necessary actions and investments required to enhance the scale of slash-based biochar production and application in the western U.S..
Barriers and Opportunities for Scaling Up Biochar Production
4. Machine learning applications in forest and biomass supply chain management: a
review
Machine Learning is a viable technique to support strategic, operational, and tactical planning and decision-making in this field and can enhance the environmental and economic performance of diverse forest and biomass supply chains.This review summarizes ML applications in forest and biomass supply chain management in terms of data, algorithms, and process examples, with an emphasis on direct application to supply chain management.
Machine Learning Applications in Supply Chain Management
5. Continuous In-woods Production of Biochar Using a Trailer-Mounted Air Curtain Burner
This study describes the use of a place-based mobile pyrolysis unit equipped with an air curtain to continuously create biochar. The technology reduces the need for open slash pile burning, which results in lower emissions and fewer soil impacts. The content includes guidelines for site selection, loading, and quenching.
In-woods production of Biochar
6. The development of harvesting systems in woody biomass supply chains: A case study of short rotation woody crops
Harvesting systems are vital to the woody biomass supply chain, influencing both
costs and environmental impacts. Short rotation woody crops (SRWC) offer high biomass
yields over small areas, but harvesting efficiency remains a challenge. Modified
forage harvesters have improved throughput and biomass quality under favorable
conditions, but harvesting during the growing season or on wet ground significantly
reduces performance. This study explores harvesting system advancements, challenges
in year-round operations, and opportunities to enhance efficiency and biomass quality
in diverse conditions.
Harvesting Systems in Woody Biomass Supply Chains
7. Harvesting Losses for a Cut-and-Chip Harvesting System Operating in Willow Short-Rotation Coppice
In any short-rotation coppice (SRC) operation, a certain percentage of harvestable material is unrecovered, which contributes to harvesting system losses. These results highlight the complexity and variability in harvesting losses as well as which aspects of harvesting systems might be targeted to reduce or partition material losses. These results have implications for designing machinery and economic modeling of these systems.
Harvesting Losses for a Cut-and-Chip Harvesting System
8. Harvesting Technologies and Costs for Switchgrass Production
Switchgrass is one of feedstocks that can be utilized as a renewable energy source. This literature review covers the main elements of biomass and biomass handling relating to determining harvesting efficiency and biomass quality for switchgrass round bales. The objective of this review is to examine status and needs for switchgrass round bale harvesting operations and the expenses that come with it.
Harvesting Losses for a Cut-and-Chip Harvesting System
9. Industrial Development and Economic Impacts of Forest Biomass for Bioenergy: A Data-Driven Holistic Analysis Framework
A data-driven holistic analysis framework was developed via integration of multi-methods and leverage data of multi-sources, for the industrial development and economic impacts of forest biomass for bioenergy in the Mid-Atlantic region. Integrating the datasets of biomass feedstock, road conditions, employment status, income status, population, and the current bioenergy industry, the machine-learning model demonstrated good performance for bioenergy industry suitability analysis.
Industrial Development and Economic Impacts Research
10. Growing Season Harvests of Shrub Willow (Salix spp.) Have Higher Nutrient Removals
and Lower Yields Compared to Dormant-Season Harvests.
This study examined the time of harvest effects for six harvest dates on the nutrient and biomass removal of four shrub willow cultivars in central New York State. Harvest timing had significant effects on N and K removal in the combined wood and foliar biomass. Harvest timing and cultivar interactions suggest that targeted cultivar selection and deployment could maintain yields and limit excess nutrient losses.
Growing Season Harvests of Shrub Willow Research
11. A review of biomass-to-bioenergy supply chain research using bibliometric analysis
and visualization
A literature review was conducted, using advanced bibliometric analysis and visualization of 1,711 peer- reviewed articles published from January 1992 to August 2022. The results show potential research gaps and opportunities in six critical areas related to biomass-to-bioenergy supply: globalization of supply chain research, incorporation of uncertainty, stochasticity, and risk into supply chain models, investigation of multi-feedstock supply systems, strengthening supply chain resilience, application of inventory control methods, and broader use of machine learning and artificial intelligence in this field.
A review of biomass-to-bioenergy supply chain research
12. Thermodegradation of naturally decomposed forest logging residues: Characteristics, kinetics, and thermodynamics
This study investigates the combustion and pyrolysis characteristics, kinetics, and thermodynamics of naturally decomposed softwood and hardwood forest logging residues (FLR) using thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that softwood logging residues yield more during pyrolysis than hardwood, with consistent thermal kinetic trends. As the natural degradation time increases, hardwood pyrolysis becomes more difficult, while softwood pyrolysis becomes easier.
Thermodegradation of naturally decomposed forest logging residue
13. A Comparison of Forest Biomass and Conventional Harvesting Effects on Estimated Erosion, Best Management Practice Implementation, Ground Cover, and Residual Woody Debris in Virginia
This study reveals significant regional variations in potential erosion, in contrast to earlier studies that found minimal differences between harvest types. The findings suggest that erosion potential on forest harvesting sites is more influenced by regional and topographical factors than by the type of harvest. Specifically, Biomass and Conventional Mountain sites exhibit higher erosion potential compared to Piedmont or Coastal Plain sites, highlighting the substantial impact of steep slopes on erosion, especially in areas with insufficient cover like roads and skid trails.
Comparison of Forest Biomass and Conventional Harvesting Effects
14. Chipping operations and chip quality from mixed hardwood forests for bioenergy
A mechanized harvesting system combined with whole-tree chipping was investigated on two harvesting sites in central and eastern Ohio, USA. These whole-tree chips were found to meet the requirements of the highest grade (A1) of the U.S. wood chip fuel quality standard for bioenergy applications.
Chip quality from mixed hardwood forests for bioenergy
15. An assessment of the harvesting and fuel performance of a single-pass cut-and-chip harvester in commercial-scale short-rotation poplar crops as influenced by crop and weather conditions
This study supports the findings of studies in willow biomass crops and other previous work in poplar and other woody crops that link harvester performance to standing biomass and ground conditions.
Ccommercial-scale short-rotation poplar crops
More Resources
Feedstock Variability, by Dr. Damon Hartley, Idaho National Laboratory