Browsing by Subject "HCT-vehicle"

During the last 100 years, Finnish legislation on the maximum vehicle dimensions and gross weights has been an upward trend. Government’s decree 407/2013 increased the maximum gross weight of the vehicles up to 76 tonnes and made possible to apply a permit for a High Capacity Transport (HCT) vehicle. HCT-vehicles are over 25.25 meters long and over 76 gross weight vehicles which are not classified as special transports. HCT-vehicles are in use in Sweden, Brazil, New-Zealand, Canada, United States, South-Africa, Mexico and in Australia. Research on HCT-vehicles has proven HCT-vehicles to lower transport costs and emissions. HCT-vehicles do not compro-mise traffic safety, congest the traffic flow or be significantly more unstable than a normal vehicle. Government’s decree 31/2019 increased the maximum length of the vehicles up to 34.5 meters, while the maximum gross weight stayed the same. Thus, increasing the cargo space, but decreasing the maximum payload weight on longer (over 25.25 meters) vehicles. In forestry, where the payload weight is a crucial factor, transportation of different timber assort-ments with an extra-long vehicle is infeasible. The study aimed to inspect the possibilities of utilizing HCT-vehicles in long distance transportation of forest energy wood, due to the payload weights being lower, but a requirement of cargo space being higher than the other timber assortments. The study was conducted as a simulation study. Four different types of HCT-vehicles and one normal 25.25-meter vehicle were simulated. Also, two types of chippers and two different types of forest energy woods were simulated. The simulated HCT-vehicles were: 28-, 30-, 32 and 33-meter long HCT-vehicles, based on pre-existing HCT-vehicles. The normal length vehicle was based on an average vehicle. All of the vehicles maximum gross weight were set to be 76 tonnes. Chippers were simulated as a mobile and as a terminal chipper. Every vehicle had their operating costs calculated. The forest energy wood was simulated as a delimbed stems and harvest residuals. The scenarios were divided into a nor-mal and a dry scenario, according to the energy woods moisture content. The normal scenario had energy woods moisture content to be 40 % and in the dry scenario 20 %. In both scenarios, energy wood is transported as comminuted and un-comminuted energy wood. The maneuverability of the simulated vehicles and their potential usage on forest roads were inspected using TrailerWIN-program. HTC- and the normal vehicle were built in the program and taken into Finnish 120-degree maneuverability test. The vehicles were assumed not to have extra turning axles and all the axles were assumed to be lowered. The results in the normal scenario show when transporting comminuted energy wood, HCT-vehicles are inferior when com-pared to the normal vehicle. HCT-vehicles are up to 1 € more expensive than the normal vehicle per transported MWh. This is due to vehicles reaching their maximum gross weight limit, before filling up the cargo space. When transporting uncomminuted energy HCT-vehicles are superior, when compared to the normal vehicle. HCT-vehicles are up to 2 € cheaper per MWh transported when compared to the normal vehicle on long distances. This is due to uncomminuted’ energy woods lower fill grade, thus filling up the cargo space more efficiently. When transporting comminuted energy wood under the dry scenario, HCT-vehicles perform better. HCT-vehicles are up to 0.5 € less expensive per transported MWh than the normal vehicle on long transport distances. This is due to drier energy woods lower density; the extra cargo space can be utilized more efficiently. When transporting uncomminuted energy wood, HCT-vehicles outperform the normal vehicle. HCT-vehicles are up to 2 € more efficient than the normal vehicle per trans-ported MWh on long transport long distances. In the maneuverability test, the 30-meter HCT-vehicle and the normal vehicle can be argued to pass it. Thou the result can be held only as a guideline as if extra-long vehicles can be operated on forest roads. The most important aspect on maneuverability is the construct of the vehicle.