Harvesting System Design and Performance - Engineering and Science of Biomass Feedstock Production and Provision - page 104

Fig. 5.21 Some special means for conventional bale handling: ( a ) bale accumulator (a 1 ) and its
specific fork lift (a 2 ); ( b ) round bale trailer capable to perform both bale loading and unloading; ( c )
bale ejector; and ( d )automaticbalewagonsloadthebalesorderlyandstoreagroupof60-100
bales in a stack. Adapted from [ 21 ]

For conventional small two-twine bales, specialized handling equipment has
been developed. The bale accumulator is a frame attached to the baler into which
the formed bales accumulate and are later deposited at the headlands in the
form of a stack (Fig. 5.21a ). A bale ejector tosses the bale into a trailer (see Fig. 5.21c ).
The ejector consists of two rubber belts moving at high speed and capable of throw-
ingthebaleadistanceof4-5 m.Anautomaticbalewagonconsistsofatrailer
equipped with a mechanical device to pick up the bales and arrange them on the
loading bed (see Fig. 5.21d ). However, the big bales are handled by front-mounted
tractor loaders (Fig. 5.22a ), although dedicated self-propelled industrial loading
vehicles (see Fig. 5.22b ) are also available.

5.4 Harvesting Systems for Bioenergy Crops

5.4.1 Energy Grasses

Switchgrass and Miscanthus are the dedicated bioenergy grasses that are most fre-
quently proposed as those having high potential. These crops are perennial, and
onceestablishedtheycanbeharvestedfor10-15years.Anotheradvantageisthat
energy grasses are harvested when the plants have senesced, i.e., nutrients have