Harvest Schedule to Fulfill Inventory for Truck Transport

Abstract

Determining the schedule time required for harvest operations is an essential prerequisite to determine lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) priority for securing biomass inventory that would effectively match the truck transport from SSL (satellite storage locations) to a biorefinery. Estimating the number of days expected to be available for baling is difficult because agricultural field work is heavily weather dependent and information concerning winter harvest operations is not well established. Harvest costs are expected to constitute a large component of the cost to deliver LCB to a biorefinery. Harvest costs depend in part on the investment required in harvest machines, and this investment depends on the field capacity of field machines and the number of field workdays available. Therefore, an estimate of the number of harvest days is necessary to determine the investment for harvest machines required to support a LCB biorefinery. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of harvest scenarios in which switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) can be harvested. Estimates of the days available for harvesting switchgrass were determined. Distributions were determined for each month and for a number of harvest windows (ranging from short, October–December to extended, July–March). The estimates of the days available have a significant impact on the equipment needs of each harvest scenario. Beginning harvest in July and extending harvest through March would require 30% less balers as would be required for a short (October–December) baling season. Short baling season requires 75% inventory space within the SSLs compared to 42% of other harvest scenarios. An extended harvest season could reduce the investment required in harvest machines and the costs to deliver feedstock.