Low-Moisture Switchgrass Bulk-Format Logistics Costs Based on Engineering Data

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-354
Author(s):  
Alvin R. Womac ◽  
Mitch D. Groothuis ◽  
Kelly Tiller ◽  
Sam W. Jackson ◽  
Clay Dye
Keyword(s):  
Diesel Fuel ◽  
Economic Advantage ◽  
Dust Collection ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Fuel Prices ◽  
Engineering Data ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Fuel Costs ◽  
Forage Harvester ◽  
Input Cost

Abstract. Logistics costs that spanned harvest, transport, storage, preprocessing, and year-round delivery of 371,870 dMg year-1 of milled, low-moisture switchgrass (SG) to a local biorefinery were determined for bulk-format versus round-bale systems. Separate spreadsheet analyses were conducted for three diesel fuel prices ($0.53 L-1, $0.92 L-1, and $1.32 L-1) because of the wide range of fuel prices during the project. A detailed analysis scenario identified a common harvest period, equipment annual use, other equipment uses, and protected SG storage on gravel pad, along with equipment performances based on previously published tests primarily for commercially available equipment. The bulk-format system used a depot equipped with stacker/reclaimer technology for storage, whereas the round-bale system used field-side bale stacks for storage, with both systems assuming 6% losses, primarily attributed to storage. Results indicated total costs for bulk-format versus round-bale systems of $54.63 per dry Mg (dMg-1), $60.41 dMg-1, and $66.21 dMg-1 versus $54.59 dMg-1, $62.10 dMg-1, and $67.93 dMg-1 corresponding with diesel fuel costs of $0.53 L-1, $0.92 L-1, and $1.32 L-1, respectively. The most significant bulk-format system total cost of $22.79 dMg-1 was associated with a stacker/reclaimer, conveyance, and dust collection at the depot, which was 42% of total costs at a diesel fuel cost of $0.53 L-1. For the round-bale system, bale chopping total costs was highest and represented an average of 27% of total costs, with costs ranging from $14.63 dMg-1 to $19.08 dMg-1 for diesel fuel input costs ranging from $0.53 L-1 to $1.32 L-1, respectively. For comparison, the forage harvester provided harvesting and chopping in the bulk-format system at total costs ranging from $6.47 dMg-1 to $8.80 dMg-1 across the same range of diesel fuel input cost. The forage harvester provided an economic advantage in size reduction compared to tub grinding. Truck hauling for both the bulk-format and round-bale systems represented significant expenses at all selected fuel costs. In addition, the multiple times that round bales were handled represented accumulating costs that were sensitive to diesel fuel costs. Keywords: Bales, Bioenergy, Bulk format, Densification, Field chop, Logistics, Transportation.

Techno-Economic Impact of Diesel Fuel, Labor, and Interest Rates on Bulk-Format and Round Bale Logistics Expenses for Switchgrass

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 865-879
Author(s):  
Alvin R. Womac ◽  
Mitch D. Groothuis
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rate ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
Diesel Fuel ◽  
Shear Failure ◽  
List Type ◽  
Fuel Cost ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Fuel Prices ◽  
Total Labor

HighlightsSystem-wide sensitivity of bulk-format and round bale logistics responded to different degrees of expense inputs.Biomass size-reduction expenses for bulk-format were consistently less than round-bale chopping.Stack/reclaim operations with high-density-capacity equipment for bulk-format were the highest expenses.Clean-sheet design of stacker/reclaimer and self-compacting bulk trailer may significantly reduce expenses.Abstract. Deterministic cost analyses were conducted for a harvest, storage, preprocessing, and supply system providing 371,870 dry Mg (dMg) year-1 of milled switchgrass (SG) to a biorefinery from 21,929 ha of production fields within 72 km of the biorefinery. Varied input costs of diesel fuel, labor, and interest rate were input into a highly detailed cost analysis for bulk-format and baseline round bale logistics. These operational input factors, potentially reflecting an evolving economic climate or paradigm shift, were examined to provide insight into the cost to deliver preprocessed biomass feedstock for centralized commercial-scale conversions. Total annual costs per dry unit of SG were determined for all combinations of diesel fuel prices of $0.53 L-1, $0.92 L-1, and $1.32 L-1; total labor costs of $20.00 h-1, $28.85 h-1, and $40.00 h-1 singly and uniformly applied across all labor inputs; and three representative interest rates of 6%, 8%, and 12%. Increases in total cost most depended on increases in diesel fuel cost, followed by labor rate, and finally interest rate. Increases in fuel costs from $0.53 L-1 to $1.32 L-1 yielded a total cost increase of about $11.56 dMg-1 and $13.36 dMg-1 for bulk-format and round bale logistics, respectively, for all combinations of labor and interest rates. The overall increase in labor rate ($20.00 h-1 to $40.85 h-1) resulted in increased total costs of about $10.32 dMg-1 for bulk-format logistics and $9.94 dMg-1 for round bale logistics for all fuel and interest rates. The overall increase in interest rate (6% to 12%) resulted in increased total costs of about $6.72 dMg-1 for bulk-format logistics and $4.21 dMg-1 for round bale logistics for all fuel and labor rates. Increases in total costs for combined increases in fuel cost, labor rate, and interest rate were $28.60 dMg-1 and $27.48 dMg-1, yielding maximum total costs of $87.87 dMg-1 and $86.53 dMg-1 for bulk-format and round bale logistics, respectively. Costs were determined for existing equipment systems, including novel use of waste compaction and ejector semi-trailers. The highest potential for cost reductions may require clean-sheet equipment designs specifically tailored for SG, such as forage harvesters that direct-cut standing SG, mobilized stacker-reclaimer technology to not inhibit stack-area footprint, self-compacting ejector trailer technology, and bale grinding technology incorporating controlled mass feeding and shear failure elements. Keywords: Bales, Bioenergy, Bulk-format, Densification, Field chop, Logistics, Transportation

scholarly journals A Threat of Farmers’ Suicide and the Opportunity in Organic Farming for Sustainable Agricultural Development in India

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karthikeyan Mariappan ◽  
Deyi Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Input Cost

Agriculture is the main sources of income for humans. Likewise, agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. In India, Tamil Nadu regional state has a wide range of possibilities to produce all varieties of organic products due to its diverse agro-climatic condition. This research aimed to identify the economics and efficiency of organic farming, and the possibilities to reduce farmers’ suicides in the Tamil Nadu region through the organic agriculture concept. The emphasis was on farmers, producers, researchers, and marketers entering the sustainable economy through organic farming by reducing input cost and high profit in cultivation. A survey was conducted to gather data. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) has been used to test the hypothesis regards the cost and profit of rice production. The results showed that there was a significant difference in profitability between organic and conventional farming methods. It is very transparent that organic farming is the leading concept of sustainable agricultural development with better organic manures that can improve soil fertility, better yield, less input cost and better return than conventional farming. The study suggests that by reducing the cost of cultivation and get a marginal return through organic farming method to poor and small scale farmers will reduce socio-economic problems such as farmers’ suicides in the future of Indian agriculture.

The Effects of Storage Duration on Biodiesel Derived from Waste Cooking Oil

2014 ◽  
Vol 660 ◽  
pp. 386-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norazwan Azman ◽  
Mirnah Suardi ◽  
Amir Khalid
Keyword(s):  
Diesel Fuel ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Acid Value ◽  
Waste Cooking Oil ◽  
Biodiesel Fuel ◽  
Storage Duration ◽  
Fuel Prices ◽  
Cooking Oil ◽  
Impact Reduction ◽  
The Impact

The use of fossil fuels as energy sources has grown to significantly be likely to have a major environmental impact. Reduction of world oil reserves and increasing environmental concerns have prompted alternative is found and renewable source of energy called biodiesel. Biodiesel fuel from vegetable oil is considered as the best candidates for diesel fuel replacement in diesel engines because of its closer. Fuel prices are going up day by day in the world. Thus, the means and methods have been trying for years to get fuel alternative outcomes. This study investigated the effects of different storage periods used in quality biodiesel blends (B5, B10, B15) of waste cooking oil and diesel fuel under low temperature and the temperature of the environment. Biodiesel samples were stored in glass containers under indoor conditions, and outdoor conditions for 10 weeks in total. These samples were monitored on a weekly basis through the test properties. The experimental density, viscosity, acid value, water content and flash point discussed in detail. Biodiesel storage at low temperatures is suitable and more advantageous because the impact on the physical properties is minimal and beneficial to slow down the degradation of biodiesel and storage.

OPTIMIZATION OF GAS-DIESEL ENGINE REGULATION AS A METHOD OF IMPROVING ITS ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

2021 ◽  
pp. 28-32
Author(s):  
VALERIY L. CHUMAKOV ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Diesel Engine ◽  
Nitrogen Oxides ◽  
Diesel Fuel ◽  
Hydrocarbon Fuel ◽  
Load Range ◽  
Engine Operation ◽  
Exhaust Gases ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Diesel Cycle

The paper shows some ways to improve the environmental characteristics of a diesel engine using gaseous hydrocarbon fuel and operating the engine in a gas-diesel cycle mode. Some possibilities to reduce toxic components of exhaust gases in a gas-diesel engine operating on liquefi ed propane-butane mixtures have been studied. Experiments carried out in a wide range of load from 10 to 100% and speed from 1400 to 2000 rpm showed that the gas-diesel engine provides a suffi ciently high level of diesel fuel replacement with gas hydrocarbon fuel. The authors indicate some eff ective ways to reduce the toxicity of exhaust gases. The engine power should be adjusted by the simultaneous supply of fuel, gas and throttling the air charge in the intake manifold. This method enriches the fi rst combusting portions to reduce nitrogen oxides and maintains the depletion of the main charge within the fl ammability limits of the gas-air charge to reduce carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. The authors found that when the engine operates in a gas-diesel cycle mode, the power change provides a decrease in nitrogen oxide emissions of gas-diesel fuel only due to gas supply in almost the entire load range as compared to the pure diesel. At high loads (more than 80%) stable engine operation is ensured up to 90% of diesel fuel replaced by gas. Even at 10% of diesel fuel used the concentration of nitrogen oxides decreases by at least 15…20% as compared with a diesel engine in the entire load range. However, there is an increased emission of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the exhaust gases. Further experimental studies have shown that optimization of the gas diesel regulation can reduce the mass emission of nitrogen oxides contained in exhaust gases in 2…3 times and greatly reduce the emission of incomplete combustion products – carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons.

Hybrid ant colony optimization for capacitated multiple-allocation cluster hub location problem

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Mirabi ◽  
Parya Seddighi
Keyword(s):  
Ant Colony Optimization ◽  
Location Problem ◽  
Demand Management ◽  
Telecommunication Networks ◽  
Ant Colony ◽  
Hub Location ◽  
Hub Location Problem ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cost Of Transportation

AbstractThe hub location problems involve locating facilities and designing hub networks to minimize the total cost of transportation (as a function of distance) between hubs, establishing facilities and demand management. In this paper, we consider the capacitated cluster hub location problem because of its wide range of applications in real-world cases, especially in transportation and telecommunication networks. In this regard, a mathematical model is presented to address this problem under capacity constraints imposed on hubs and transportation lines. Then, a new hybrid algorithm based on simulated annealing and ant colony optimization is proposed to solve the presented problem. Finally, the computational experiments demonstrate that the proposed heuristic algorithm is both effective and efficient.

Fuel price increase, subsidies, overcapacity, and resource sustainability

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 832-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ussif Rashid Sumaila ◽  
Louise Teh ◽  
Reg Watson ◽  
Peter Tyedmers ◽  
Daniel Pauly
Keyword(s):  
Price Increase ◽  
Positive Aspect ◽  
Significant Component ◽  
Fuel Price ◽  
Fuel Prices ◽  
Resource Sustainability ◽  
Price Increases ◽  
Fishing Sector ◽  
Fuel Subsidies ◽  
Fuel Costs

Abstract Sumaila, U. R., Teh, L., Watson, R., Tyedmers, P., and Pauly, D. 2008. Fuel price increase, subsidies, overcapacity, and resource sustainability. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 832–840. Global fisheries are currently overcapitalized, resulting in overfishing in many of the world’s fisheries. Given that fuel constitutes a significant component of fishing costs, we expect recent increases in fuel prices to reduce overcapacity and overfishing. However, government fuel subsidies to the fishing sector reduce, if not completely negate, this positive aspect of increasing fuel costs. Here, we explore the theoretical basis for the expectation that the increasing fuel prices faced by fishing enterprises will reduce fishing pressure. Next, we estimate the amount of fuel subsidies to the fishing sector by governments globally to be in the range of US$4.2–8.5 billion per year. Hence, depending on how much of this subsidy existed before the recent fuel price increases, fishing enterprises, as a group, can absorb as much as this amount of increase in their fuel budget before any conservation benefits occur as a result of fuel price increases.

scholarly journals Liquid-liquid phase separation and viscosity within secondary organic aerosol generated from diesel fuel vapors

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mijung Song ◽  
Adrian M. Maclean ◽  
Yuanzhou Huang ◽  
Natalie R. Smith ◽  
Sandra L. Blair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Separation ◽  
Liquid Phase ◽  
Diesel Fuel ◽  
Diffusion Coefficients ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Liquid Phase Separation ◽  
Small Diffusion ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Liquid Liquid Phase Separation

Abstract. Information on liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and viscosity (or diffusion) within secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is needed to improve predictions of particle size, mass, reactivity, and cloud nucleating properties in the atmosphere. Here we report on LLPS and viscosities within SOA generated by the photooxidation of diesel fuel vapors. Diesel fuel contains a wide range of volatile organic compounds, and SOA generated by the photooxidation of diesel fuel vapors may be a good proxy for SOA from anthropogenic emissions. In our experiments, LLPS occurred over the relative humidity (RH) range of ~ 70 % to ~ 100 %, resulting in an organic-rich outer phase and a water-rich inner phase. These results may have implications for predicting the cloud nucleating properties of anthropogenic SOA since the organic-rich outer phase can lower the kinetic barrier for activation to a cloud droplet. At ≤ 10 % RH, the viscosity was in the range of ≥ 1 × 108 Pa s, which corresponds to roughly the viscosity of tar pitch. At 38–50 % RH the viscosity was in the range of 1 × 108–3 × 105 Pa s. These measured viscosities are consistent with predictions based on oxygen to carbon elemental ratio (O : C) and molar mass as well as predictions based on the number of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Based on the measured viscosities and the Stokes–Einstein relation, at ≤ 10 % RH diffusion coefficients of organics within diesel fuel SOA is ≤ 5.4 × 10−17cm2 s−1 and the mixing time of organics within 200 nm diesel fuel SOA particles (τmixing) is ≳ 50 h. These small diffusion coefficients and large mixing times may be important in laboratory experiments, where SOA is often generated and studied using low RH conditions and on time scales of minutes to hours. At 38–50 % RH, the calculated organic diffusion coefficients are in the range of 5.4 × 10−17 to 1.8 × 10−13 cm2 s−1 and calculated τmixing values are in the range of ~ 0.01 h to ~ 50 h. These values provide important constraints for the physicochemical properties of anthropogenic SOA.

scholarly journals Liquid–liquid phase separation and viscosity within secondary organic aerosol generated from diesel fuel vapors

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (19) ◽  
pp. 12515-12529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mijung Song ◽  
Adrian M. Maclean ◽  
Yuanzhou Huang ◽  
Natalie R. Smith ◽  
Sandra L. Blair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Separation ◽  
Liquid Phase ◽  
Diesel Fuel ◽  
Diffusion Coefficients ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Liquid Phase Separation ◽  
Small Diffusion ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Liquid Liquid Phase Separation

Abstract. Information on liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) and viscosity (or diffusion) within secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is needed to improve predictions of particle size, mass, reactivity, and cloud nucleating properties in the atmosphere. Here we report on LLPS and viscosities within SOA generated by the photooxidation of diesel fuel vapors. Diesel fuel contains a wide range of volatile organic compounds, and SOA generated by the photooxidation of diesel fuel vapors may be a good proxy for SOA from anthropogenic emissions. In our experiments, LLPS occurred over the relative humidity (RH) range of ∼70 % to ∼100 %, resulting in an organic-rich outer phase and a water-rich inner phase. These results may have implications for predicting the cloud nucleating properties of anthropogenic SOA since the presence of an organic-rich outer phase at high-RH values can lower the supersaturation with respect to water required for cloud droplet formation. At ≤10 % RH, the viscosity was ≥1×108 Pa s, which corresponds to roughly the viscosity of tar pitch. At 38 %–50 % RH, the viscosity was in the range of 1×108 to 3×105 Pa s. These measured viscosities are consistent with predictions based on oxygen to carbon elemental ratio (O:C) and molar mass as well as predictions based on the number of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Based on the measured viscosities and the Stokes–Einstein relation, at ≤10 % RH diffusion coefficients of organics within diesel fuel SOA is ≤5.4×10-17 cm2 s−1 and the mixing time of organics within 200 nm diesel fuel SOA particles (τmixing) is 50 h. These small diffusion coefficients and large mixing times may be important in laboratory experiments, where SOA is often generated and studied using low-RH conditions and on timescales of minutes to hours. At 38 %–50 % RH, the calculated organic diffusion coefficients are in the range of 5.4×10-17 to 1.8×10-13 cm2 s−1 and calculated τmixing values are in the range of ∼0.01 h to ∼50 h. These values provide important constraints for the physicochemical properties of anthropogenic SOA.

scholarly journals Justifying the productivity of a grain dryer in the climate of the Southern Urals

2019 ◽  
Vol 135 ◽  
pp. 01012
Author(s):  
Sergey Shepelev ◽  
Dmitry Vnukov ◽  
Vladimir Chumakov ◽  
Oleg Polushkin ◽  
Viacheslav Lebedenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Urals ◽  
The Southern Urals ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Production Factors ◽  
Field Simulation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Grain Drying ◽  
Combine Harvesters ◽  
Production Losses ◽  
Rational Range

The use of grain-drying complexes is established to make possible to start harvesting before the crops are fully ripened, to shorten the harvesting period, to increase the productivity of combine harvesters and reduce production losses. An economic and mathematical model is developed to justify the productivity of grain-drying equipment, taking into account the rate of grain supplied from the field. Simulation made possible to reveal the rational productivity of a grain dryer taking into account a wide range of natural and production factors. The dependence of the operation of combine harvesters on the moisture content of the grain mass is obtained. It is established that the use of crops with different growing periods in crop rotation makes possible to expand the rational range of harvesting equipment and grain-cleaning complexes, to reduce the total cost of production.

ASSIGNMENT QUERY AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN MOVING OBJECT DATABASES

2010 ◽  
Vol 09 (03) ◽  
pp. 349-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALİ R. KONAN ◽  
TAFLAN İ. GÜNDEM ◽  
MURAT E. KAYA
Keyword(s):  
Nearest Neighbor ◽  
Perfect Match ◽  
Moving Object ◽  
Location Based Services ◽  
Matching Problem ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Weighted Bipartite Graph ◽  
Object Databases ◽  
Moving Object Databases

Moving object databases (MOD) are being used in a wide range of location-based services that are of growing interest in many application areas. In the literature, several query types such as nearest neighbor, reverse nearest neighbor, k-nearest neighbor, and proximity queries have been considered in MOD. In this paper, we propose a novel operator called the assignment operator as a query type for MOD. The assignment operator is an operator used in a query to solve the assignment problem (also known as the weighted bipartite graph-matching problem). Assignment operator finds a perfect match between two sets of objects in a manner that minimizes a total cost. For instance, a set of moving objects such as taxi cabs are assigned to a set of customers in a manner that minimizes the total cost of traveling for the taxis. A possible implementation of the assignment operator in MOD and its performance evaluation are given.

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