Battery- and Petrol-Powered Chainsaws: An Investigation of Productivity in Conifer Thinning

Self Cite

Chainsaw operators are exposed to many hazards that can lead to health problems. The two most frequently documented ergonomics threats in the use of chainsaws are noise and vibration exposure. Since the use of battery chainsaws is increasing due to the growing improvements in battery life and power, the study aims to compare the difference in terms of noise emission and vibration levels of the following two new models of chainsaws: the battery-powered Stihl MSA 300 and the petrol-powered Stihl MS 261 C-M. Black pine and European beech logs were cross-cut in order to evaluate both noise and vibration exposure. The results show that the use of battery-powered chainsaws, in comparison to the petrol one, can reduce the daily vibration exposure by more than 51% and the noise dose by 11%. The daily vibration exposure of 1.60 ms−2 and 1.67 ms−2 measured for the battery-powered chainsaw on Black pine and on European beech, respectively, is far from the daily exposure action value set by the EU directives for health and safety requirements (2.5 ms−2). On the contrary, the daily noise exposure for the battery chainsaw was 93 dB(A), exceeding the upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A).

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparison between the Latest Models of Li-Ion Batteries and Petrol Chainsaws Assessing Noise and Vibration Exposure in Cross-Cutting

Neri

Laschi

Bertuzzi

et al. 2023

Self Cite

“…Of course, battery chainsaws have their application in certain branches of the economy, primarily due to the reduced noise level and the absence of harmful exhaust gases [26] but also due to the speed of operation, which is next to petrol chainsaws [12]. For battery chainsaws to be used more in professional forestry, it is necessary to have more batteries, which require a higher financial expenditure, or at least two batteries with the possibility of charging at the worksite [14]. A significant problem that was observed during this research is the prolonged charging time of the Stihl AP500S battery, because this type of battery has a very low high-temperature tolerance, so after use, it must first be cooled down to an acceptable temperature to start the charging, which ultimately further reduces the working performance of the battery chainsaw.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The major problem of battery-powered chainsaws is insufficient power capacity and overheating of battery packs due to hard work, which requires the use of several batteries for normal work [9], and consequently, lower productivity [9,13]. The latest research proved that there is no significant difference in productivity between the equal power of battery and petrol chainsaws in real conditions [14]. Because of the lower power, lower efficiency, and lower speed of the chain rotation of battery-powered chainsaws, their usage could be viable only in plantation forests due to the smaller and more homogeneous tree dimensions [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Energy Consumption and Cutting Performance of Battery-Powered Chainsaws

Pandur

Bačić

Šušnjar

et al. 2023

The aim of this research is to measure the energy consumption and compare the cutting performance of three types of battery-powered chainsaws (Stihl MSA 200, Stihl MSA 220, and Stihl MSA 300). Tested chainsaws were powered by two different battery packs (Stihl AP 300 S and Stihl AP 500 S) with different energy capacity and output current when cutting two wooden beams, European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) with different densities and moisture content. Energy consumption was measured using a multimeter built-in battery charger housing, and consumed energy was noted in watt-hours. Each individual cut was recorded with an action camera at 60 frames per second, and the duration of the cuts recorded in centiseconds was observed on the obtained recordings. Results show significant differences in energy consumption and cutting duration between individual chainsaw/battery combinations. Energy consumption ranged from 2.45 to 4.50 Wh per cut for beech (Stihl MSA300E_AP500S and Stihl MSA220_AP300S, respectively) and from 3.10 to 5.00 Wh per cut for black locust (Stihl MSA300M_AP500S and Stihl MSA220_AP500S, respectively). Duration of the cut ranged from 3.48 to 9.24 s per cut for beech (Stihl MSA300M/H_AP500S and Stihl MSA220_AP300S, respectively) and from 3.74 to 9.35 s per cut for the black locust (Stihl MSA300M_AP500S and Stihl MSA220_AP300S, respectively). In general, it can be concluded that more powerful chainsaw/battery combinations (Stihl MSA300_AP500S) consumed less energy per cut and had better cutting performance (shorter cut). In that regard, more powerful chainsaws had greater cutting efficiency, i.e., more cuts on one charge (battery) but shorter cutting time on one charge. The effect of tree species (fresh-sawed beech/air-dried black locust) on energy consumption and cutting performance is absent on the most powerful chainsaw/battery combinations. Today, lithium-ion batteries still have 70 times less energy density than petrol. However, if there is a significant increase in the energy density of the batteries in the coming times, battery chainsaws will most certainly displace petrol chainsaws from use in the future.

“…To date, studies carried out on battery-powered chainsaws have been concerned mainly with the evaluation of the operator's exposure to noise and vibrations under controlled conditions [3,6,14], but few studies have investigated the productivity and the reliability of battery-powered chainsaws in regular forestry operations [7,25]. In terms of performance, cutting efficiency is affected by several factors, such as the wood density, i.e., tree species, degree of wood contamination [26,27], moisture content, chain filing and type [28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing the Productivity of the Latest Models of Li-Ion Battery and Petrol Chainsaws in a Conifer Clear-Cut Site

Laschi

Neri

Marra

et al. 2023

Self Cite

The recent technological development of batteries has allowed the production of powerful tools that are also used in forestry operations. For this reason, this study aimed to compare the performance of two latest chainsaw models in a conifer clear-cut. The examined chainsaws, the battery-powered Stihl MSA 300 and the petrol-powered MS 261 C-M, have comparable power and weight. The overall working times were recorded and then gross, net and felling/processing productivities were quantified. Our findings reported that in a working day (7.4 h gross time), each chainsaw felled and processed an average of 20 trees of 0.64 m3 with an average diameter at breast height of 28 cm. Considering the net productivity, no statistically significant differences were recorded between the two chainsaws. Investigating the productivities on operations conducted using the chainsaws, the battery chainsaw showed a lower average tree-processing productivity than that recorded for the petrol chainsaw. On average, the battery duration was 0.88 h, while the petrol tank duration was 0.97 h. Our study shows that battery chainsaws have great potential in forestry operations; however, considering the actual need for 8 charges per standard workday, optimizing battery management is an important objective for future work.