{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/87237"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/87237","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"An evaluation of existing and conceptual short-rotation energy plantation harvesting machines and systems","abstract":"The literature was reviewed to determine the probable characteristics of short-rotation energy plantations. The influences these plantation characteristics would have on harvesting machine and system design were evaluated. Significant plantation and system characteristics affecting the harvesting of energy biomass include species, spacing, rotation, generation, row and road layout, plantation size, soil type, terrain, and end-product form. A prototype short-rotation energy plantation harvester attachment for a medium-size farm tractor or skidder was described and is under construction. Tests were performed on two types of circular saws as severance devices. The tests concluded that circular carbide-tipped peg-tooth saws were an efficient method of cutting the stems, requiring only about 9 net horsepower and leaving very cleanly-cut stump surfaces. The prototype harvester system and three other large existing or conceptual biomass harvesters were simulated on a 100 acre short-rotation energy plantation under three spacing and three rotation assumptions. Simulation results showed that wider (4' x 4' to 8' x 8’) spacings gave slightly lower harvesting costs and better productivities than 2' x 2' spacings. Rotations or generations with more volume per stem generally resulted in lower harvesting costs. The VPI short-rotation harvesting attachment system had harvesting costs and productivities comparable to the large, single-purpose machines (SIKOB harvester, Koch-Nicholson Mobile Chipper, and the Georgia-Pacific Biomass Harvester). The most favorable harvesting costs were about $10 per dry ton of chips; the most favorable system productivities were about 7 to 10 dry tons per hour.","abstract_html":"The literature was reviewed to determine the probable characteristics of short-rotation energy plantations. The influences these plantation characteristics would have on harvesting machine and system design were evaluated. Significant plantation and system characteristics affecting the harvesting of energy biomass include species, spacing, rotation, generation, row and road layout, plantation size, soil type, terrain, and end-product form. A prototype short-rotation energy plantation harvester attachment for a medium-size farm tractor or skidder was described and is under construction. Tests were performed on two types of circular saws as severance devices. The tests concluded that circular carbide-tipped peg-tooth saws were an efficient method of cutting the stems, requiring only about 9 net horsepower and leaving very cleanly-cut stump surfaces. The prototype harvester system and three other large existing or conceptual biomass harvesters were simulated on a 100 acre short-rotation energy plantation under three spacing and three rotation assumptions. Simulation results showed that wider (4' x 4' to 8' x 8’) spacings gave slightly lower harvesting costs and better productivities than 2' x 2' spacings. Rotations or generations with more volume per stem generally resulted in lower harvesting costs. The VPI short-rotation harvesting attachment system had harvesting costs and productivities comparable to the large, single-purpose machines (SIKOB harvester, Koch-Nicholson Mobile Chipper, and the Georgia-Pacific Biomass Harvester). The most favorable harvesting costs were about $10 per dry ton of chips; the most favorable system productivities were about 7 to 10 dry tons per hour.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Marley, Daniel Steven"],"institution":"Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Forestry","degree_department":"Forestry","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1982,"date_issued":"1982","date_published":"1982","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:48Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en_US"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/87237","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Forestry"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Marley, Daniel Steven"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2019-01-31T18:27:27Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-01-31T18:27:27Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1982"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Forestry"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_US"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/87237"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The literature was reviewed to determine the probable characteristics of short-rotation energy plantations. The influences these plantation characteristics would have on harvesting machine and system design were evaluated. Significant plantation and system characteristics affecting the harvesting of energy biomass include species, spacing, rotation, generation, row and road layout, plantation size, soil type, terrain, and end-product form. A prototype short-rotation energy plantation harvester attachment for a medium-size farm tractor or skidder was described and is under construction. Tests were performed on two types of circular saws as severance devices. The tests concluded that circular carbide-tipped peg-tooth saws were an efficient method of cutting the stems, requiring only about 9 net horsepower and leaving very cleanly-cut stump surfaces. The prototype harvester system and three other large existing or conceptual biomass harvesters were simulated on a 100 acre short-rotation energy plantation under three spacing and three rotation assumptions. Simulation results showed that wider (4' x 4' to 8' x 8’) spacings gave slightly lower harvesting costs and better productivities than 2' x 2' spacings. Rotations or generations with more volume per stem generally resulted in lower harvesting costs. The VPI short-rotation harvesting attachment system had harvesting costs and productivities comparable to the large, single-purpose machines (SIKOB harvester, Koch-Nicholson Mobile Chipper, and the Georgia-Pacific Biomass Harvester). The most favorable harvesting costs were about $10 per dry ton of chips; the most favorable system productivities were about 7 to 10 dry tons per hour."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An evaluation of existing and conceptual short-rotation energy plantation harvesting machines and systems"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.department":["Forestry"],"dc:creator":["Marley, Daniel Steven"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2019-01-31T18:27:27Z"],"dc:date.available":["2019-01-31T18:27:27Z"],"dc:date.issued":["1982"],"dc:description.abstract":["The literature was reviewed to determine the probable characteristics of short-rotation energy plantations. The influences these plantation characteristics would have on harvesting machine and system design were evaluated. Significant plantation and system characteristics affecting the harvesting of energy biomass include species, spacing, rotation, generation, row and road layout, plantation size, soil type, terrain, and end-product form. A prototype short-rotation energy plantation harvester attachment for a medium-size farm tractor or skidder was described and is under construction. Tests were performed on two types of circular saws as severance devices. The tests concluded that circular carbide-tipped peg-tooth saws were an efficient method of cutting the stems, requiring only about 9 net horsepower and leaving very cleanly-cut stump surfaces. The prototype harvester system and three other large existing or conceptual biomass harvesters were simulated on a 100 acre short-rotation energy plantation under three spacing and three rotation assumptions. Simulation results showed that wider (4' x 4' to 8' x 8’) spacings gave slightly lower harvesting costs and better productivities than 2' x 2' spacings. Rotations or generations with more volume per stem generally resulted in lower harvesting costs. The VPI short-rotation harvesting attachment system had harvesting costs and productivities comparable to the large, single-purpose machines (SIKOB harvester, Koch-Nicholson Mobile Chipper, and the Georgia-Pacific Biomass Harvester). The most favorable harvesting costs were about $10 per dry ton of chips; the most favorable system productivities were about 7 to 10 dry tons per hour."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/87237"],"dc:language.iso":["en_US"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:title":["An evaluation of existing and conceptual short-rotation energy plantation harvesting machines and systems"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Forestry"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:48Z"}