Equipment Selection for Mechanical Fuels Treatments: A Flow Chart Approach Han-Sup Han, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Forest Operations and Engineering Department of Forestry and Wildland Resources Humboldt State University, Arcata, California
How to select equipment? It depends on!!!
Mechanical Fuels Treatment Leave biomass Remove biomass Ground slope<35% Ground slope 35% Ground slope<35% Ground slope 35% Mastication Hand thinning Ground based Cable Helicopter Forest Products Sawlogs, pulpwood, Energy wood
Mechanical Treatment Fuels Ground slope<35% Leave biomass Ground slope 35% Leave biomass Ground slope<35% Remove biomass Ground slope 35% Remove biomass Mastication Are the majority of fuels standing trees < 8 dbh? Is soil nutrient conservation a high priority? Any one of these is isyes Soil Prone to compaction? Is ground slope > 20%? Any one of these is is yes Tracked carrier Retention Natural decomposition Wheeled carrier Hand thinning Fuel consumption method Desired outcome prohibit fuels > 3 in. diameter? Is the project area adjacent to a road? Burning Thinning, pruning, piling method Lop and Scatter method Small scale WT Soil disturbance concerned Nutrient recycling required? Long extraction distance? WT Track size < 10 acres? Product market availability Grinder Market for short logs preferred? p Mechanized WT Bundler Debarker Ground based Any one of these is isyes CTL Track size < 10 acres? Mechanized CTL Processor Removal Small scale CTL <500 ft. Small Cable Average external yarding distance < 300 ft. Yoader Decking wood on road required? Swin g >2500 ft. Medium Tower 500 1000 ft. 1000 2500 ft. Large Helicopter Track size > 20 acres? Large landings (>1 acre) available? Ground slope broken or constant? Broken Constant Boommounted masticator Front end attached masticator Hand thin, chip and blow chips into woods Is there more than 10 acres to treat? Chipping or grinding ngat energy plant Large masticato r Small masticato r Chunks Rotary head masticato r Logs Clean chips Hog fuel Is the desired outcome mulch or chunks? Mulch Horizontal ontal drum masticato r WT Desired outcome: leave slash for nutrient recycling? CTL
Forest Products
Ground-based System (Ground Slopes: >35%)
Ground-based System Ground based System Soil disturbance concerned? Cable Helicopter Nutrient recycling required? Long extraction distance? Anyone of these is yes Market for short logs preferred? WT CTL Small scale WT Track size < 10 acres? Mechanized WT Track size < 10 acres? Mechanized CTL Small scale CTL Product market availability Grinder Bundler Debarker p Processor Chipping or grinding ng at energy plant Hog fuel Clean chips Logs
Whole Tree Harvesting System
Cut-to-Length Harvesting System
Ground-based System Ground based System Soil disturbance concerned? Cable Helicopter Nutrient recycling required? Long extraction distance? Anyone of these is yes Market for short logs preferred? WT CTL Small scale WT Track size < 10 acres? Mechanized WT Track size < 10 acres? Mechanized CTL Small scale CTL Product market availability Grinder Bundler Debarker p Processor Chipping or grinding ng at energy plant Hog fuel Clean chips Logs
Cable Yarding Systems (Ground Slopes: >35%)
Cable Yarding System Cable System Helicopter Average external yarding distance >2500 ft. 1000 2500 ft. 500 1000 ft. < 300 ft. <500 ft. Small Yoader Medium Large Product market availability Swing Decking wood on road required? Tower Grinder Bundler Chipping or grinding ng at energy plant Debarker Processor Desired outcome: leaves broadcast slash for nutrient recycling? WT CTL Hog fuel Clean chips Logs
Chainsaw felling & processing
Small (<35ft tower)
Yoader
Medium-size (35 45 ft tower) Tower Swing
Large (>45 ft tower)
Cable Yarding System Cable System Helicopter Average external yarding distance >2500 ft. 1000 2500 ft. 500 1000 ft. < 300 ft. <500 ft. Small Yoader Medium Large Product market availability Swing Decking wood on road required? Tower Grinder Bundler Chipping or grinding ng at energy plant Debarker Processor Desired outcome: leaves broadcast slash for nutrient recycling? WT CTL Hog fuel Clean chips Logs
Mechanical Treatment Fuels Ground slope<35% Leave biomass Ground slope 35% Leave biomass Ground slope<35% Remove biomass Ground slope 35% Remove biomass Mastication Are the majority of fuels standing trees < 8 dbh? Is soil nutrient conservation a high priority? Any one of these is isyes Soil Prone to compaction? Is ground slope > 20%? Any one of these is is yes Tracked carrier Retention Natural decomposition Wheeled carrier Hand thinning Fuel consumption method Desired outcome prohibit fuels > 3 in. diameter? Is the project area adjacent to a road? Burning Thinning, pruning, piling method Lop and Scatter method Small scale WT Soil disturbance concerned Nutrient recycling required? Long extraction distance? WT Track size < 10 acres? Product market availability Grinder Market for short logs preferred? p Mechanized WT Bundler Debarker Ground based Any one of these is isyes CTL Track size < 10 acres? Mechanized CTL Processor Removal Small scale CTL <500 ft. Small Cable Average external yarding distance < 300 ft. Yoader Decking wood on road required? Swin g >2500 ft. Medium Tower 500 1000 ft. 1000 2500 ft. Large Helicopter Track size > 20 acres? Large landings (>1 acre) available? Ground slope broken or constant? Broken Constant Boommounted masticator Front end attached masticator Hand thin, chip and blow chips into woods Is there more than 10 acres to treat? Chipping or grinding ngat energy plant Large masticato r Small masticato r Chunks Rotary head masticato r Logs Clean chips Hog fuel Is the desired outcome mulch or chunks? Mulch Horizontal ontal drum masticato r WT Desired outcome: leave slash for nutrient recycling? CTL
Questions???