The effect of knife wear on chip quality and processing cost of chestnut and locust fuel wood

Alessio Facello; Eugenio Cavallo; Natascia Magagnotti; Giuseppe Paletto; Raffaele Spinelli

doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2013.07.012

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The effect of knife wear on chip quality and processing cost of chestnut and locust fuel wood

Journal article

Peer reviewed

The effect of knife wear on chip quality and processing cost of chestnut and locust fuel wood

Alessio Facello, Eugenio Cavallo, Natascia Magagnotti, Giuseppe Paletto and Raffaele Spinelli

Biomass and Bioenergy, Vol.59, pp.468-476

2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2013.07.012

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Abstract

Engineering

Technology

Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences

productivity

fuel consumption

Castanea sativa L.

Robinia pseudoacacia L.

logging

The experimental design consisted of ten repetitions per each combination of two wood species (locust or chestnut), two knife conditions (new or worn out) and two piece breaker options (with or a without). Each repetition consisted of a manually-fed log bunch, weighing about 30 kg. Average productivity with fresh material, wH2OwH2O = 36-42%, varied between 4 and 14 t h-1, or between 3 and 9 oven-dry t h-1. Productivity was 15-30% higher for locust than for chestnut, when working with new knives; it was 30-40% higher for chestnut than for locust, when working with worn knives. All else being equal, blade wear determined a 50% reduction of productivity. Installing a piece breaker resulted in a 30% decrease of productivity, but only when knives where new. Specific fuel consumption per unit of chipped biomass varied between 1.5 and 4.2 L t-1, of fresh matter, or 2.3 and 6.4 L t-1 of dry matter. Blade wear had a dominant effect, explaining between 70 and 75% of the total variability. Specific fuel consumption increased 1.4-2.8 times with blade wear, depending on species and piece breaker option. Knife wear and the use of a piece breaker determined a marked increase in the incidence of small chips (8-3 mm) and fine particles (less than 3 mm), and a parallel reduction in the incidence of large chips (45-9 mm). If the main goal of a chipper operator is increasing productivity and decreasing fuel consumption, managing knife wear should be a primary target.

Details

Title: The effect of knife wear on chip quality and processing cost of chestnut and locust fuel wood
Authors: Alessio Facello (Author) - CNR IMAMOTER, Italy
Eugenio Cavallo (Author) - CNR IMAMOTER, Italy
Natascia Magagnotti (Author) - CNR IVALSA, Italy
Giuseppe Paletto (Author) - CNR IMAMOTER, Italy
Raffaele Spinelli (Author) - CNR IVALSA, Italy
Publication details: Biomass and Bioenergy, Vol.59, pp.468-476
Publisher: Pergamon
Date published: 2013
DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2013.07.012
ISSN: 0961-9534
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Forest Industries Research Centre; Forest Research Institute
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450180702621
Output Type: Journal article

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