scholarly journals Small Parcel Fuel Reduction with a Low-Investment, High-Mobility Operation

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 205-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike J. DeLasaux ◽  
Bruce R. Hartsough ◽  
Raffaele Spinelli ◽  
Natascia Magagnotti
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Cost ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fuel Reduction ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
Pickup Truck ◽  
Cutting Head ◽  
Whole Tree ◽  
All Treatment

Abstract Fuel reduction treatments are especially urgent near homes, where a stand replacement fire would also endanger property and human lives. However, the forested properties associated with homes are often too small for cost-effective mechanized fuel treatment performed with traditional methods and equipment. This project tested a small rubber-tracked skid-steer specially modified for forestry operations that can provide all the functions of a complete harvesting system. The skid-steer can, alternately,carry a hot saw for tree felling, a processor to delimb and buck felled trees, a brush cutting head for mastication, and a log-grapple to transport logs and trees. All of the equipment can be transported on a trailer pulled by a heavy pickup truck, which makes for fast, economical movement between project sites. The study confirmed that this system is well suited to small-parcel conditions around home sites and performs best on even terrain, moderate slopes, and softwood trees with a dbh between 5 and 8 in. It took from 7 to 15 productive machine-hours ac−1 to perform all treatment phases (i.e., mastication, felling, processing, and skidding). The occurrence of delays significantly increased this figures, bringing the average 9.7 productive hours ac−1 to 13.5 worksite hours. Treatment cost was estimated at $480 ac−1 and $1,146 ac−1 for whole-tree and cut-to-length harvesting, respectively. In addition to offering a reasonable treatment cost, the system has the advantage of requiring a low investment, which allows small-scale enterprises to get into the business.

scholarly journals Low-Investment Fully Mechanized Harvesting of Short-Rotation Poplar (populus spp.) Plantations

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaele Spinelli ◽  
Natascia Magagnotti ◽  
Carolina Lombardini
Keyword(s):  
Capital Investment ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fresh Weight ◽  
High Productivity ◽  
Short Rotation ◽  
Farm Tractor ◽  
Poplar Plantations ◽  
Populus Spp ◽  
Whole Tree

European short-rotation poplar plantations are harvested at 5–8 year rotations and produce relatively small stems (0.05–0.10 m3), which represent a major challenge when designing a cost-effective harvesting chain. Until now, the challenge has been met through whole-tree chipping, which allows mass-handling all through the harvesting chain. However, the production of higher value logs for the panel industry requires devising different solutions. This study presents a fully mechanized low-investment system using an excavator-based feller-buncher shear, a grapple skidder obtained from the conversion of a common farm tractor and an excavator-mounted grapple saw adapted to work as a makeshift slasher. The system was tested in Northwestern Italy, achieving high productivity (between 14 and 20 t fresh weight per scheduled machine hour) and low harvesting cost (between 9 and 14 € t−1 fresh weight). However, crosscutting quality needs further improvement, because almost 50% of the logs did not meet factory specifications. Solutions to solve this issue are proposed. The tested system is suitable for local small-scale operators because it can be acquired with a reasonable capital investment (400,000 €) and it is versatile enough for use in a number of alternative jobs, when the coppice harvesting season is over.

Urban pollution control strategy: SBR technology to treat agricultural waste from pig farm in Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Lindawati Lindawati
Keyword(s):  
Cost Estimation ◽  
Batch Reactor ◽  
Agricultural Waste ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Pig Manure ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Piggery Wastewater ◽  
Pig Farm ◽  
Number Of Customers

Reduction of food rations and shortages is one of the impacts of the increasing human population. Food sector industries then try to cope with the fast growing number of customers. Agribusiness sector gains its popularity in these recent years, including pig farm. The increase trend of animal farming industry is likely to bring increasing pollution problem unless effective treatment methods are used. The main problems related to the pig farm include odor nuisance and pig manure disposal. The existing land application of piggery wastewater is the traditional way to discharge the wastewater. This may yield in land and water contamination, due to the accumulation of unused nutrients by crop plant. A case study of a large commercial pig farm from Australia is proposed to apply in smaller scale in Indonesia. Operational strategies for the small-scale SBR (Sequencing Batch Reactor) treating piggery effluent were developed based on lab-scale experiments. Due to SBR characteristics, which are money-saving and space-saving, it is very suitable to be applied in urban area. An economic evaluation was made of various process options. The cost estimation showed that SBR is a cost effective process, allowing operational batches to be adjusted to reduce unnecessary aeration cost. A reduction in the aeration cost was achieved by shortening the batch time from 24-h to 8-h. A comparison of three different SBR options showed that smaller size reactors could be more flexible and cost effective when compared with the larger ones.

scholarly journals All-Organic, Low Voltage, Transparent and Compliant Organic Field-Effect Transistor Fabricated by Means of Large-Area, Cost-Effective Techniques

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (19) ◽  
pp. 6656
Author(s):  
Stefano Lai ◽  
Giulia Casula ◽  
Pier Carlo Ricci ◽  
Piero Cosseddu ◽  
Annalisa Bonfiglio
Keyword(s):  
Field Effect ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
Field Effect Transistors ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Parylene C ◽  
Biomedical Sensing ◽  
Novel Applications

The development of electronic devices with enhanced properties of transparency and conformability is of high interest for the development of novel applications in the field of bioelectronics and biomedical sensing. Here, a fabrication process for all organic Organic Field-Effect Transistors (OFETs) by means of large-area, cost-effective techniques such as inkjet printing and chemical vapor deposition is reported. The fabricated device can operate at low voltages (as high as 4 V) with ideal electronic characteristics, including low threshold voltage, relatively high mobility and low subthreshold voltages. The employment of organic materials such as Parylene C, PEDOT:PSS and 6,13-Bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS pentacene) helps to obtain highly transparent transistors, with a relative transmittance exceeding 80%. Interestingly enough, the proposed process can be reliably employed for OFET fabrication over different kind of substrates, ranging from transparent, flexible but relatively thick polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates to transparent, 700-nm-thick, compliant Parylene C films. OFETs fabricated on such sub-micrometrical substrates maintain their functionality after being transferred onto complex surfaces, such as human skin and wearable items. To this aim, the electrical and electromechanical stability of proposed devices will be discussed.

scholarly journals Diversity minimization through part combination – a Portuguese railway infrastructure case study

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-94
Author(s):  
Diogo Rechena ◽  
Luís Sousa ◽  
Virgínia Infante ◽  
Elsa Henriques
Keyword(s):  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Railway Infrastructure ◽  
Sustainable Services ◽  
Market Needs ◽  
Design Diversity ◽  
Requirement Changes

Abstract With increasing market needs for product and service variety, companies struggle to provide diversity in cost-effective ways. Through standardization of components with a low perceived added value, companies can take advantage of economies of scale while maintaining product diversity. Railway infrastructure managers face similar challenges of providing economically sustainable services while dealing with the costs of maintaining the system diversity. Typically, unintended design diversity stems from design practices in which existing solutions are not reused for new problems and new solutions are rarely planned considering the dynamics of requirement changes. In this paper we provide a methodology to assess how to standardize different designs to minimize design diversity and to assess design divergence in a product family. The developed methodology is able to take into account any set of standardization compatibility constraints that the user can define. The methodology was applied in the context of a small-scale railway infrastructure manager using a dataset of 223 unique designs of functionally similar components from its electrification system. Depending on the activated compatibility constraints, results indicate that over 60% of components can be reduced to a set of 86 unique designs.

A Study on Small Scale Associated Gas FLNG Utilizing Small Scale LNG Carriers to Near-By Onshore LNG Plant

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. C. Nguyen ◽  
Komla Miheaye ◽  
Mun-gyu Kim ◽  
Howard Newman ◽  
Dong-hoon Yoo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Short Range ◽  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Production Capacity ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Oil Fields ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Associated Gas ◽  
Small Capacity ◽  
Stranded Gas

This study describes a FLNG specifically designed to monetize Associated Gas (AG) of producing oil fields located within convenient distance of an existing LNG Plant or Port with LNG storage facility. Limited production capacity combined with short range small capacity shuttles and limited LNG storage capacity, provide a cost effective means for LNG production. This FLNG is designed to service an existing industry and does not require development of stranded gas discoveries.

scholarly journals Towards Cost-Effective Operational Monitoring Systems for Complex Waters: Analyzing Small-Scale Coastal Processes with Optical Transmissometry

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. e0170706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Ramírez-Pérez ◽  
Rafael Gonçalves-Araujo ◽  
Sonja Wiegmann ◽  
Elena Torrecilla ◽  
Raul Bardaji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Monitoring Systems ◽  
Coastal Processes ◽  
Operational Monitoring

Solar Photovoltaic Water Pumping to Alleviate Drought in Remote Locations

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kala Meah ◽  
Steven Fletcher ◽  
Yu Wan ◽  
Sadrul Ula
Keyword(s):  
Performance Monitoring ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Solar Water ◽  
Small Water ◽  
Water Pumping ◽  
Western Us ◽  
Water Right ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The University

Many parts of the western US is rural in nature and consequently do not have electrical distribution lines in many parts of farms and ranches. Distribution line extension costs can run from $15,000 to $25,000 per mile, thereby making availability of electricity to small water pumping projects economically unattractive. Solar photo-voltaic (PV) powered water pumping is more cost effective in these small scale applications. Many western states including Wyoming are passing through fifth year of drought with the consequent shortages of water for many applications. Wyoming State Climatologist is predicting a possible 5–10 years of drought. Drought impacts the surface water right away, while it takes much longer to impact the underground aquifers. To mitigate the effect on the livestock and wildlife, Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal initiated a solar water pumping initiative in cooperation with the University of Wyoming, County Conservation Districts, Rural Electric Cooperatives, and ranching organizations. Solar water pumping has several advantages over traditional systems; for example, diesel or propane engines require not only expensive fuels, they also create noise and air pollution in many remote pristine areas. Solar systems are environment friendly, low maintenance and have no fuel cost. In this paper the design, installation and performance monitoring of the solar system for small scale remote water pumping will be presented.

Performance of All-Polypropylene Composites at LNG Temperatures

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilim Atli-Veltin
Keyword(s):  
Composite Materials ◽  
Mechanical Performance ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Tensile Tests ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Failure Behavior ◽  
Polypropylene Composites ◽  
Design Flexibility ◽  
Static Tensile ◽  
Interlaminar Shear

In the small scale LNG infrastructure, composite materials are scarcely employed. Potentially, cost effective solutions for LNG applications could be developed thanks to the advantages of composite materials over metals such as weight savings, design flexibility and recyclability. The research presented in this paper focuses on the mechanical performance of fully recyclable, thermoplastic Polypropylene (PP) composite tapes at cryogenic LNG temperatures. Quasi-static tensile tests performed on [±45] laminates made of plain woven plies of PURE® show that at −196°C the behavior is bilinear with the failure strain of 6.5% and failure stress of 37 MPa. Such non-brittle failure behavior of PP is desirable for cryogenic applications. The other results presented in the paper contains [0/90] laminate results and the interlaminar shear strength characteristics at room and cryogenic temperatures.

scholarly journals Designing locally-appropriate conservation incentives for small-scale fishers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hollie Booth ◽  
M Said Ramdlan ◽  
Ayesha Hafizh ◽  
Karto Wongsopatty ◽  
Susana Mourato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Small Scale Fisheries ◽  
Outcome Goals ◽  
Use Values ◽  
Combination Of Methods ◽  
Marine Megafauna ◽  
Business As Usual

Large, long-lived marine animals (‘marine megafauna’) play critical roles in ocean ecosystems, however, they are threatened by overfishing. Technologies and practices that reduce fisheries’ impacts on marine megafauna are well documented, yet less is known about how to encourage their adoption. This is particularly challenging in small-scale fisheries (SSFs), where endangered species can have important consumptive use values. We used a novel combination of methods – scenario interviews with contingent valuation (CV) – to investigate how incentive-based interventions might influence fisher behaviour and reduce mortality of Critically Endangered taxa (hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna spp.) and wedgefish (Rhynchobatus spp.)) in two case study SSFs in Indonesia. Scenario interviews revealed that positive performance-based incentives were almost unanimously supported (98% and 96% of fishers would stop landing hammerheads and wedgefish, respectively). This is in contrast to 1% and 6% under a business as usual control scenario, and 52% and 46% in response to a regulation with a fine. Using CV, we estimated that an incentive-based scheme for catch mitigation of all hammerheads and wedgefish across both sites could cost US$71,620-298,820 annually, and save up to 18,500 hammerheads and 2,140 wedgefish relative to current catch baselines. This study provides empirical evidence that performance-based payments could offer a cost-effective, legitimate and socially-just approach for marine conservation in SSFs, and support “a sustainable and equitable blue economy” and “living in harmony with nature”. This is particularly important with the growing adoption of net-outcome goals for biodiversity, with studies such as this providing the basis for locally-appropriate investment ready schemes for bycatch-neutral seafood supply chains.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document