Harvesting System Design and Performance - Engineering and Science of Biomass Feedstock Production and Provision - page 81

Chapter 5
Harvesting System Design and Performance

Sunil K. Mathanker and Alan C. Hansen

Abstract Bioenergy crop harvesting is a critical operation affecting bioenergy
supply logistics. It includes the tasks of cutting, gathering, and conditioning of bio-
energy crop so as to make it suitable for subsequent operations. Harvesting repre-
sents a significant amount of biomass cost at the farm gate. This chapter reviews and
discusses harvesting technologies for four major bioenergy crop alternatives: energy
grasses (Miscanthus and switchgrass), short rotation woody crops (willow, poplar),
green crops (energy cane, sorghum, sugar cane), and agricultural crop residue (corn
stover, orchard residue). It describes crop characteristics important for designing
harvesting machinery and different machinery options used for harvesting promis-
ing bioenergy crops. It also describes the functional processes involved in a crop-
specific harvesting operation and compares their operational principles. The
harvesting machinery performance data are compiled to facilitate equipment selec-
tion. Finally, this chapter discusses observed limitations of the machinery evaluated
and future challenges to be addressed.

5.1 Introduction

Bioenergy crop harvesting is a key operation in the supply chain that is strongly
affected by technology. It also represents a substantial cost component. For example,
it was about 32.5 % of overall sugar cane production cost in Louisiana, USA [ 1 ].
Equipment for harvesting conventional agricultural products such as grain and for-
age has evolved to high levels of productivity and efficiency as a result of decades of