Ultra Dense WDM Optical Interconnect Using Silicon NanoComposites

65799 A whole-tree harvesting system would significantly reduce the cost of cutting, loading, and handling farm-grown hybrid trees for use in the biomass energy production industry. This project will construct, test, and document a full scale, operational, whole-tree harvester. In Phase I, the automatic control system was designed, tested, and documented for three key functions of the whole tree harvester: the track steering system, the tree accumulator system, and the endgate mechanism. Mockups of portions of each of these systems were built and interfaced with a programmable logic controller ported to a personal computer for programming, simulating, and testing the control functions required of each subsystem. Phase II will focus on procuring and fabricating the remaining components, assembling key subsystems (such as the tracks, the steering system, the engine and system controls), and testing the prototype whole tree harvester in the field on one of more plots of farm-grown trees. The ability of the whole tree harvester to rapidly negotiate typical farm fields, cut and accumulate trees at high speed, load trees automatically (in both batch and continuous mode), and be successfully transported between fields will be tested and documented. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The whole-tree harvester should increase the productivity of harvesting trees by 5 times or more and could be used to harvest trees grown on farmland as efficiently as any other agricultural crop. The productivity gains should significantly improve the economics of biomass energy production and also have application to the pulp and paper industry.