Abstract
Managing uncertainty is the way to secure stability of the supply chain. Uncertainty within chipping operation and chip transportation causes production loss. In the wood chip supply chain for bioenergy, operational uncertainty mainly appears in the moisture content of the material, chipping productivity, and the interval of truck arrival. This study theoretically quantified the loss in wood chip production by applying queuing theory and stochastic modelling. As well as the loss in production, the inefficiency was identified as the idling time of chipper and the queuing time of trucks. The aim of this study is to quantify the influence of three uncertainties on wood chip production. This study simulated the daily chip production using a mobile chipper by applying queuing theory and stochastic modelling of three uncertainties. The result was compared with the result of deterministic simulation which did not consider uncertainty. Uncertainty reduced the production by 14% to 27% compared to the production of deterministic simulation. There were trucks scheduled but not used. The cases using small trucks show the largest daily production amount, but their lead time was the longest. The large truck was sensitive to the moisture content of material because of the balance between payload and volumetric capacity. This simulation method can present a possible loss in production amount and enables to evaluate some ways for the loss compensation quantitatively such as outsourcing or storing buffer. For further development, the data about the interval of truck arrival should be collected from fields and analyzed. We must include the other uncertainties causing technical and operator delays.
Highlights
Woody biomass has been used for heat generation for a long time, and for power generation for the last several decades as one of the renewable energy resources
This study introduced the idea of throughput (TH), lead time (LT), and work in process (WIP) that have a relationship as Equations (9)–(12) [20]: TH = WIP/LT, X
Our previous study clarified that the reduction of Moisture content (MC) to 30 WB% was necessary to use the full payload of a large truck in a Japanese case [26]
Summary
Woody biomass has been used for heat generation for a long time, and for power generation for the last several decades as one of the renewable energy resources. As represented by the movement of bioeconomy in European countries, it is promoted to develop end products with higher added value from woody biomass by advanced processing/refining technologies in material/energy use. This type of shift in end products requires the expansion of scale and inadequate design of the supply chain may not be economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable [1]. In Japan, woody biomass is featured by the use for power generation as the replacement of fossil fuel in the context of bioeconomy It is a relatively new idea compared to traditional material use and has been promoted since 2012 by Feed-In Tariff law [2]. The Japanese government targets to reduce the green house gas emission by 26% till 2030 compared to that in 2013 according to Paris Agreement [3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
