Battery Technology – Use in Forestry

Technical development and system optimization during the last decades have targeted more efficient, socially acceptable and ecologically sustainable ways to use forestry machines and tools. This is supported by the development of electronics and electrical components, as well as battery technology, without which it is impossible to imagine doing some forestry work in forest areas with no permanent source of electricity. Today, we cannot imagine life without e.g. a cell phone, and also doing business in the forestry sector without a field computer. There are numerous examples in everyday life, but also in industry, where portable devices make life and business much easier, and the basis for the operation of these devices is battery technology. The importance of the development of battery technology is proven by the fact that in 2019 the Nobel Prize in Chemistry went into the hands of scientists who developed a lithium-ion battery - a lightweight, rechargeable and powerful battery that is used today in numerous products from mobile phones to laptops and electric vehicles. This paper will outline the historical development of battery technology and the use of battery powered devices, tools and machines with their advantages and disadvantages in forestry sector

Workability and Physical Wellbeing Among Chainsaw Operators in Croatia

Motor-manual felling and wood processing is a high-risk work process where the chainsaw, in connection to other variables in the working environment, is a key and constant source of risk and danger for forest chainsaw operators. Pursuant to the foregoing, the purpose of this research is to investigate and compare detected musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) symptoms among the chainsaw workers in Croatia according to their employer (state company – Hrvatske šume Ltd. or private forestry contractor) and self-evaluated Workability Index. A combined three-stage research method was used: (a) defining a sample; (b) preparation and administration of questionnaire; and (c) data analysis and elaboration. The Standardized Nordic Questionnaire (SNQ) was used as a medium to detect musculoskeletal disorder symptoms in chainsaw operators and the Workability Index (WAI) questionnaire was used as a medium for workability self-evaluation. The field part of face-to-face data collection was conducted in the first quarter of 2022 with a total of 158 sampled workers interviewed directly at the forest worksite. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to verify and analyze the data. The anatomical area with the highest 12-month period prevalence of MSD symptoms for all chainsaw operators is the low back (70.89%), followed by the shoulders (41.14%), neck (39.87%) and wrist/hands (36.71%). Research results, according to the employer, showed that workers employed by Hrvatske šume Ltd. have a higher prevalence of MSD symptoms in almost all anatomical locations compared to chainsaw operators employed by private forest contractors. Mean WAI Score among all respondents was 34.96 points (max. 49) falling into the rank »moderate«, while the current workability compared with the lifetime best was 7.33 (range 0–10). The results of MSD symptoms confirm the self-estimated higher values related to health problems caused by forestry work and lower WAI Score by workers employed in the state forestry sector compared to workers employed in private forestry sector. The prevalence of MSD symptoms, observed through WAI Score, showed a significantly lower percentage of affirmative responses for all anatomical regions except for shoulders in workers who need to maintain their workability. The obtained results show positive correlation with descriptive indicators, where younger workers with less chainsaw work experience have a lower prevalence of MSD symptoms and better WAI Score. In the discussion and conclusion part of the research in question, the need for development of possible solutions is emphasized. The proposed solutions can be included into educational programs or on-site training related to the MSD risks for professional chainsaw workers to change their behaviour that will reduce occupational risks

Energy Return on Investment (EROI) of Different Wood Products

Energy cannot be produced without consumption of some part of the energy, and the proportions in which this occurs are a key indicator of the efficiency of the production process. Energy return on investment (EROI) of energy production shows the relationship between obtained and invested energy in the production process. This relationship is a key factor in sustainable global energy supply. Wood chips and one-metre firewood are used to produce thermal energy. Amount of energy obtained by burning depends on the moisture content and the features of the energy plant. This chapter deals with the issue of the amount of energy required to produce in the process of wood chips and one-metre firewood production and its transport to the heating plant. When calculating the energy balance, it is important to include as many input parameters as possible (parameters of energy consumption), which represents an almost impossible task because one parameter directly binds several others. According to several authors, the relationship between obtained and invested energy or EROI for energy wood is 30:1 which is a better ratio than the production of oil, for which relationship between obtained and invested energy is about 20:1. The results of study show that most of the energy during the production and supply of energy wood products from final felling of oak stands is used for fuel for machinery and vehicles in the production process. Ultimately, the relationship between obtained and invested energy is approximately 25:1 in the case of moisture content in the wood chips in the limit (market) value of 35% and the mean distance truck transportation of wood chips of 50 km. The relationship of obtained and invested energy used for one-metre firewood is bigger than 25:1 because of less invested energy which does not include machines like wood chipper. This is a satisfactory relationship, but it decreases with a greater transport distance. Such is the case when chips manufactured in Croatia, due to the lack of heat plants, are transported over long distances to neighbouring countries

Surface Accessibility with Spatial Analysis During Fire Extinguishing Procedures: Example on the Island of Vis

Background and Purpose: The existing public and forest transport infrastructure (truck forest roads) are permanent objects used when passing through forests. They also serve as a firefighter belt and provide direct access to firefighting vehicles, or are used as the starting point where firefighting teams extinguish fires or move toward remote fires. The paper identifies the existing fire road network (including public roads, forest roads, non-classified roads and fire roads) for access of firefighting vehicles during fire extinguishing interventions. Material and Methods: An analysis of the intervention rate was conducted on a dispersive sample (35 positions) from two volunteer fire associations (VFA) on the island of Vis. Also, an analysis of the surface availability to fire vehicles concerning the time of departure from the fire station was conducted, as well as the comparison with the Standard time of intervention defined by the regulations on fire department organization in the Republic of Croatia. Results: For each simulated fire location for intervention of two existing volunteer fire associations: VFA Komiža and VFA Vis, results show that for a few fire locations, despite a smaller distance from the VFA Komiža, a quicker intervention is possible from the VFA Vis (locations 4, 5 and 14), and vice versa (locations 21, 22 and 25). With the use of a New Service Area, tool intervention times regarding different areas were calculated. Intervention times were divided into intervals: 25 min. The last two categories of area are beyond reach for firefighters within the Standard time of intervention (15 min) and together they comprise to 27.88% of the total research area. Conclusions: The results of Closest Facility tool indicate that for the simulated fire position the best/fastest route is not always the shortest one, because of a significant effect of the structural elements of each road, the state of the road and the longitudinal slope of the road itself. One of the possible approaches to gain access to the area for fire-fighting, as well as to prioritize fire roads regarding maintenance/reconstruction is to improve road conditions, and thus increase the average driving speed

Soil Measurements in the Context of Planning Harvesting Operations and Variable Climatic Conditions

Background and Purpose: Terrain trafficability and vehicle mobility during timber extraction are highly influenced by terrain characteristics, as well as by soil bearing capacity. Insufficient planning, too heavy vehicles, excessive traffic, poor soil knowledge, together with bad weather conditions, cause severe disturbance to forest soil. Damage to the forest ecosystem arises due to felling and timber extraction operations, regardless of the technical means used in this process. Traffic intensity plays an essential role in soil compaction because deformations can increase with the number of passes, which may lead to excessive soil disturbance. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted in Zalesina, a hilly and pre-mountainous part of Gorski kotar, Croatia, in two management units (MUs) comprising of 569.64 ha of selective beech and fir forests. Physical and mechanical properties of forest soil, essential for vehicle mobility and terrain trafficability during timber extraction are based on measuring the following soil parameters: 1) soil penetration resistance, 2) soil shear strength, and 3) current soil moisture. Measurements were made during one calendar year, on five sampling plots (three in MU "Belevine" and two in MU "Kupjački vrh") chosen on the prevailing soil types in both MUs. Results: The highest values of cone index and shear strength were recorded in July which was the warmest and driest month with only 7 rainy days. Current soil moisture was the lowest in July at φ=15.26% vol, while the lowest values of cone index were from October to January with precipitation at its climax from September to January with cumulative 1232 mm of rain and 846 cm of snow. Lower values of penetration resistance were in MU "Kupjački vrh" at 0.96 MPa, which is related to overall terrain structure of high karst and surface roughness, making the sampling of plots difficult. By comparing cone index values (CI15) and the mean values between 5 and 25 cm of depth (CI5-25), the variation coefficient indicates a lower variability of CI5-25 values on four out of five sampling plots. However, t-test showed no statistically significant difference between these soil parameters. Conclusions: Data regarding soil bearing capacity in a map form as an additional layer to other maps of stand characteristics would ensure better opportunities for planners or operators to reduce and avoid rutting and soil compaction. Measured data on penetration resistance, soil shear strength and current soil moisture have not only given in a simple and a fast manner the in situ stand conditions, but they have also shown their dependence on climatic conditions

LCA Studies in Forestry – Stagnation or Progress?

Today, LCA is one of the leading and most used tools for environmental management, but the application of LCA in forestry is still in an initial phase. Due to a high amount of different wood products which can be produced in forestry sector, production of raw material itself is not included enough in the whole LCA process. Raw wood products and biomass used to be widely declared as »carbon neutral« and renewable, but production steps have a significant influence on the environmental impact depending on machinery used, opening forest with new roads, management type (clear-cut, even-aged management or selective cut), etc. This paper gives a review of LCA studies in forestry based on three segments: harvesting operations biomass for energy road construction and maintenance