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Harvesting System Design and Performance

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Engineering and Science of Biomass Feedstock Production and Provision

Abstract

Bioenergy crop harvesting is a critical operation affecting bioenergy supply logistics. It includes the tasks of cutting, gathering, and conditioning of bioenergy crop so as to make it suitable for subsequent operations. Harvesting represents 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 promising 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 selection. Finally, this chapter discusses observed limitations of the machinery evaluated and future challenges to be addressed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1304 W Pennsylvania Avenue, 338 AESB, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    Sunil K. Mathanker Ph.D. & Alan C. Hansen Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Sunil K. Mathanker Ph.D.
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  2. Alan C. Hansen Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sunil K. Mathanker Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

    Yogendra Shastri

  2. Dept. of Ag and Bio Engineering Agricultural Engineering Sciences Bldg, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA

    Alan Hansen

  3. Dept of Ag and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA

    Luis Rodríguez

  4. Dept of Ag and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA

    K.C. Ting

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Mathanker, S.K., Hansen, A.C. (2014). Harvesting System Design and Performance. In: Shastri, Y., Hansen, A., Rodríguez, L., Ting, K. (eds) Engineering and Science of Biomass Feedstock Production and Provision. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-8014-4_5

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