Browsing by Subject "ruohonleikkuri"

This research was made in order to gather more information about lawn mowers' fuel consumption for the needs of LCA (Life Cycle Assestment). The lawn mowers' fuel consumption was measured in different circumstances in order to gather information on how different circumstances affect the lawn mowers' fuel consumption. When the fuel consumption was known, greenhouse gas emissions in three different mowing intensities could be calculated. These emissions were compared to emissions from liming and fertilizing lawns and the emissions from driving a car. Emissions from liming, fertilizing and the production of fuel needed in lawn mowing were calculated using information from literary research. The fuel consumption of the lawn mower varied between 2.9 kg/ha and 4.2 kg/ha when the height of the lawn before mowing varied between 11 and 19 cm measured with a measuring stick. The amount of biomass passed through the lawn mower varied between 398 kg/ha and 825 kg/ha. For the needs of emission calculations, it was judged from the results that if the lawn was mowed when its height was 11 cm (measured by stick), the fuel consumption was 2.7 kg/ha, if the height was 15 cm, the fuel consumption was 2.9 kg/ha, and if the height was 19 cm, the fuel consumption was 3.7 kg/ha. These heights correspond to timeframes of one, two and three weeks between each mowing day. In order to calculate the “loss drive” (area over which the mowing blades are driven two times), the distance that the mower drove was measured by GPS. Loss drive varied between 25 % and 88 %. Judging from these results, the loss drive caused by variation in the area and shape of the lawn can cause a rise up to 50 % in fuel consumption. Emissions from lawn mowing varied between 79 and 154 kg CO2-ekv/ha. The biggest emissions of lawn management were caused by liming (369 kg CO2-ekv/ha/year), when 3000 kg/ha of lime was used once in five years. The least emissions of lawn management were caused by mowing when it is done once in three weeks. Lawn mowing caused only a small amount of emissions compared to lawn management and driving a car. This research produced important information for the needs of LCA, for example about the fuel consumption of lawn mowers.