As today’s society searches for renewable energy sources that could be an
alternative to fossil fuels, biomass and
biofuels provide a promising solution. Switchgrass is one of feedstocks that
can be utilized as a renewable energy source. When farming, one of the
most important considerations is efficiency.
This consists of several factors, including time, fuel use, economic and
power efficiencies of equipment. Inefficient
field operations could increase harvesting costs and in turn could cause
hesitation when a farmer decides to participate in biomass production. This
literature review will cover the main elements of biomass and biomass handling
relating to determining harvesting efficiency and biomass quality for switchgrass round
bales. Specifically, the following
sections include past research activities relating to biomass harvesting, biomass bale quality during outdoor storage,
logistics models, and data collection methods during biomass harvesting.
The objective of this review is to examine status and needs for switchgrass
round bale harvesting operations and the expenses that come with it.
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