Fuel consumption and exhaust emissions in the process of mechanized timber extraction and transport

The paper focuses on the determination of fuel consumption (CO₂ emission) and exhaust emissions such as CO, HC, NO_x, and PM in the process of timber extraction and transport. A complex assessment of fuel consumption and exhaust emissions was performed for the entire, fully mechanized supply chain including, tree felling, delimbing, and bucking with a harvester, timber extraction with a forwarder and transport with a truck. The performed investigations determined unit exhaust emissions (referred to 1 m³ of timber) for the entire technological process and its individual stages. The investigations of the exhaust emissions and fuel consumption were performed under actual conditions of typical forest operations and transport. State-of-the-art portable emissions measurement system equipment was used for the measurements. The fuel consumption was determined through the carbon balance method. The investigations were performed for the process of extraction and transport of pulpwood. The measurements were performed on location in the town of B?bnik?t near Poznań, in a pinewood forest, typical of this part of Europe. The analysis includes the transport of timber to the lumberyard on a distance of 31.4 km. The total fuel consumption for the entire mechanized supply chain was 2.10 dm³/m³. The total exhaust emissions, however, amounted to: CO—8.91 g/m³, HC—1.19 g/m³, NO_x—45.32 g/m³, PM—4.04 g/m³.