Download or read book Evaluation of Harvesting, Densification, and Storage Practices of Corn Stover for Bioenergy Feedstock Production written by Ryan Wesley Billman and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 71 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Storage trials of the corn stover consisted of outdoor covered and uncovered storage in stacks of 56 bales allowing for 12 interior bales to be sampled for the analysis of moisture, dry matter content, and volatile solids (VS) content. Results show that both trials had significant reductions in overall dry matter (up to 17.53% and 17.39% dry matter losses (DML) for covered and uncovered, respectively) as well as significant reduction in total VS content by mass (up to 18.48% and 18.72% for covered and uncovered, respectively) over the course of the six month storage. Exterior uncovered bales at six months did see significant deterioration due to increased moisture causing bale breakage (14.6%) compared to covered stacks (3.6%). The densification study consisted of a crushing apparatus with monitors for pressure and distance allowing instantaneous density to be calculated. Different fractions of the corn plant were tested to determine which component or orientation is the most limiting to densification. The testing revealed that the node fraction of the corn plant as well as orientation of the stalk were the most significant factors in limiting overall densification requiring up to 52.9% more pressure to densify to 270 kg/m3 than other plant fractions (normal Stalk w/ Nodes to Husk/Leaves). To be able to create an ideal bale, it is necessary to pay close attention to how the stalks are compressed as well as the condition of the nodes to achieve maximum density with the minimum amount of pressure.