Preharvest Drying of Logging Residues

Logging residues are being utilized or being considered for fuel throughout the United States. Their use will increase substantially as oil, coal, and natural gas costs rise. To make logging residues economically competitive, maximum fuel energies need to be recovered during utilization. This can be done by correctly preparing the fuelwood prior to combustion. One potentially attractive fuel preparation technique is to allow these residues to dry in the field before harvest. Delaying the harvest of logging residues for 3 months in the winter allowed their moisture content (MC) to decrease. This enhanced the fuel value of loblolly pine, white oak, and sweet-gum trees to varying degrees. The study was done in eastern Texas. Heartwood MCs of loblolly pine, white oak and sweetgum decreased 50.1, 7.0 and 11.5 percent, respectively. Comparatively, sapwood MCs decreased 60.1, 23.8, and 28.5 percent, respectively, for the same species. Net fuel values increased 72.5 and 32.9 percent for loblolly pine sapwood and heartwood, 14.1 and 3.8 percent for white oak sapwood and heartwood, and 24.5 and 9.2 percent for sweetgum sapwood and heartwood.

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