AU2020202329A1 - Enhanced Biomass-based CO2 Sequestration - Google Patents
Enhanced Biomass-based CO2 Sequestration Download PDFInfo
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- AU2020202329A1 AU2020202329A1 AU2020202329A AU2020202329A AU2020202329A1 AU 2020202329 A1 AU2020202329 A1 AU 2020202329A1 AU 2020202329 A AU2020202329 A AU 2020202329A AU 2020202329 A AU2020202329 A AU 2020202329A AU 2020202329 A1 AU2020202329 A1 AU 2020202329A1
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B09—DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL
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- B09B1/00—Dumping solid waste
- B09B1/004—Covering of dumping sites
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
- A01G22/00—Cultivation of specific crops or plants not otherwise provided for
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B09—DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL
- B09B—DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B09B1/00—Dumping solid waste
- B09B1/006—Shafts or wells in waste dumps
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02D—FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS; UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES
- E02D17/00—Excavations; Bordering of excavations; Making embankments
- E02D17/18—Making embankments, e.g. dikes, dams
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P60/00—Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries
- Y02P60/20—Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Botany (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Cultivation Of Plants (AREA)
Abstract
Enhanced Biomass-based C02 Sequestration
Abstract
This invention, the "present invention", relates to a method which utilises a number of
key technologies and processes to enhance biomass-based capture and long term,
secure storage of Carbon Dioxide (C02) termed "C02 sequestration", for any
commercial, remedial environmental, or any other use, whereby the capital costs,
operating costs and all-in costs per tonne of sequestered C02 is "cost effective", that is
competitive on a like-for-like basis with, existing comparable C02 sequestration
technology.
Layout of Biomass Sequestration Trenches End View
Sheepsfoot
vibrating Trench under excavation
compactor
Cat 637 size scraper
7Compa cted
soil sealant Fully excavated trench
Sealed, anoxic, Compacted soil biomass- Chunked and compacted
sequestered biomass protection horizon biomass layer
Figure 15. An overview of the biomass sequestration trenches in end view.
Description
Layout of Biomass Sequestration Trenches End View
Sheepsfoot vibrating Trench under excavation compactor Cat 637 size scraper 7Compa cted soil sealant Fully excavated trench
Sealed, anoxic, Compacted soil biomass- Chunked and compacted sequestered biomass protection horizon biomass layer
Figure 15. An overview of the biomass sequestration trenches in end view.
EDITORIAL NOTE 2020202329
There are only 4 pages of description
Australian Patents Act 1990
Standard Patent Application
Enhanced Biomass-based C02 Sequestration
This invention is described in the following statement
Enhanced Biomass-based C02 Sequestration
Abstract Background and Prior Art Claims Preferred Embodiment Advantages Figures
Abstract This invention, the "present invention", relates to a method which utilises a number of key technologies and processes to enhance biomass-based capture and long term, secure storage of Carbon Dioxide (C02) termed "C02 sequestration", for any commercial, remedial environmental, or any other use, whereby the capital costs, operating costs and all-in costs per tonne of sequestered C02 is "cost effective", that is competitive on a like-for-like basis with, existing comparable C02 sequestration technology.
Background and Prior Art Existing C02 sequestration technologies have a number of limitations which result in high capital and/or operating costs, and/or an inability to ensure that C02 is effectively captured and removed from the atmosphere or from man-made emissions entering the atmosphere, and securely stored for the long term, such that the captured C02 does not re-enter the atmosphere as C02 or any other "Green House Gas" ("GHG"). The definition of key technical terms used in this invention such as: "Carbon Dioxide, C02, Carbon Sequestration, C02 Sequestration, Carbon Capture, Green House Gas, GHG", among others, is that provided within the articles of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ("Kyoto Protocol")
Existing C02 sequestration technologies can be divided into two categories those (a) currently commercially operational; dominantly underground C02 sequestration and (b) technologies still being researched, developed, optimised and field tested and display little-to-no commercial operationality to date. Within the former category, underground C02 sequestration technologies involve the following key steps: 1. concentration of C02 from an emission source flue to as close to pure C02 as is practically and economically possible,
2. compression of high-concentration C02 to the highest density gas as is practically and economically possible, 3. pumping of the high-density gas via interconnected pipelines and drilled wells to allow for the C02 gas injection into suitably permeable and porous strata, 4. C02 gas injection to maximise the volume of gas stored in the strata as is practically and economically possible, and 5. on achievement of the strata's gas storage capacity, sealing of the well and the strata with the objective of trapping the C02 within the strata in perpetuity.
Underground C02 sequestration systems are characterised by the need to have a geologically suitably porous and permeable strata for practical and economic C02 injection, sealing and storage in close proximity to the C02 emission site in order to minimise the construction and operating costs of transmission and delivery pipeline(s). To eliminate the possibility of C02 contamination of underground water and/or leakage of C02 from its storage site, the targeted underground C02 storage strata must also be an acceptable distance below any water-bearing aquifers, which may be an existing, or future, source of potable, agricultural or industrial water.
The majority of operating costs of underground C02 storage is in the concentration of C02 at or adjacent to the emission site and the pumping of the concentrated C02 to the underground strata. If the C02 emission gas stream has an initially high C02 concentration and the distance to the storage site is short, the strata is geologically and geotechnically acceptable and the C02 gas does not leak from the storage strata, underground C02 sequestration can be an effective C02 sequestration technology. If any of the above parameters are not met underground C02 sequestration by this means will be cost ineffective and/or not achieve the primary objective of sequestering C02 in perpetuity.
As noted above, other existing C02 sequestration technologies are dominantly still being researched, developed, optimised and field tested and display little-to-no commercial operationality to date. Other C02 sequestration technologies can be divided into the following categories: 1. Absorption systems including amine, carbonate, ammonia, hydroxide and limestone-based key reagents 2. Adsorption systems including metal organics, zeolite-based key reagents 3. Membranes systems including microporous and fibre-based key components 4. Other technologies including: mineralisation and cold separation systems.
Biological systems including algae, micro-algae and cyano-bacteria-based key species. Land and water based biomass production, harvesting and underground burial systems have been envisaged previously (e.g. CN101224464A; CN103109675A; W02014161108A1; Ning Zeng, 2008, Carbon Balance and Management, 2008:3:1.). The systems described in these prior inventions and academic papers, appear broadly similar to the present invention, but differ materially from the present invention in a number of key areas. Importantly, the present invention describes six key features, which are not described in prior art, and the prior art systems have a number of features, which the present invention does not rely upon, including the following: • utilise a narrow range of herbaceous (non-woody) plants, algaes, forest debris, dead trees, recycled timber and trimmings from "perpetual forest" trees, as the biomass media for photosynthetic C02 capture. • utilise a biomass drying step prior to burial of the biomass. • utilise a range of technologies within the biomass burial site to extract heat and methane-based gases produced by the decomposition of a proportion of the buried biomass. • do not discuss or describe how to achieve and maintain anaerobic conditions within the buried biomass. • have not been commercialised likely due to the high capital and operating costs associated with development, implementation and operation of the inventions.
Generally, C02 sequestration technologies under development or in trial commercial use are characterised by high capital expenditures, complex multi-step processing, significant reagent consumption or key component maintenances resulting in high operating costs and/or technical risks that C02 will not be sequestered in perpetuity; all of which are dissimilar to the present invention.
EDITORIAL NOTE 2020202329
There are only 31 pages of claims
Australian Patents Act 1990
Standard Patent Application
Enhanced Biomass-based C02 Sequestration
This invention is described in the following statement
Claims (16)
1. A number of selection criteria and methodologies for evaluating and identifying suitable land for the delivery of cost-effective, low-rainfall, biomass-based C02 capture and underground sequestration. 2. A list of native Australian tree species suitable for cost-effective, low rainfall, biomass-based C02 capture and underground sequestration. 3. Technologies and methodologies for the cost-effective delivery and application of supplementary water to the trees of a low rainfall biomass plantation during the dry season. 4. A methodology for the development of novel sources of irrigation-quality water for supplementary watering of low rainfall biomass production tree plantations. 5. Technologies and methodologies for the cost-effective harvesting, processing and transportation of biomass from low rainfall biomass plantations to sequestration sites. 6. Technologies and methodologies for the cost-effective underground burial, sequestration and monitoring of biomass-based C02.
Each claim of the present invention is further described below:
1. Requisite Land Attributes & Land Selection A methodology for selecting sites capable of being used for, and delivering, cost effective production, capture and sequestration of biomass-based C02 is provided. The site selection criteria are:
1. The largest possible contiguous land parcels, greater than 100ha and less than 1,000,000ha in size. 2. Largely deforested, cultivated, "agricultural" land currently used for dryland grain, pasture and/or animal production including but not restricted to: wheat, oats, barley, lupins, field peas, chickpeas, lentils, clover, annual grass, sheep, cattle, goat, pig or horse production. Land must have an ownership and formal or informal land use classification, which allows for planting of large areas of trees. 3. A modified Koppen Climatic Classification as detailed in the table below: Koppen Climatic Zone Additional Rainfall Additional Temperature Requirements Requirements BWh >275mm pa BWk >275mm pa >0 deg. C BSh <375mm pa BSk <375mm pa >0 deg. C CSa 275-375mm pa CSb 275-375mm pa CSc 275-375mm pa
Land with the above Koppen Climatic Classifications when utilised for agricultural production is generally at high risk of low-to-negative annual profitability and as such is generally characterised by low land values. Land for use within the present invention should have the lowest possible land access cost, either land purchase of land lease cost, to allow for cost-effective access to large areas of land for tree planting. 4. Land not affected by secondary salination, unfrozen at all times, and suitable for growing a range of dry land, coppicing, native Australian trees (including woody plants) with high above ground green biomass production capabilities exceeding 10t/ha per annum within a 250 to 375mm annual rainfall zone. The priority list of native Australian tree species is provided in the "Selection of Plant Species for Biomass Production" section of this document. 5. Land containing suitable quantities of soils amenable to optimal compaction and the formation of low hydraulic conductivity (K <10 cm/sec) layers, ideally relatively fine-grained soils (>35% passing 75um) with no greater than 40% clay (<2um particles) and ideally poorly sorted with a reasonably even distribution soil particle sizes. The selected soils must be of sufficient area and depth profile to allow for the construction of anaerobic biomass burial and sequestration sites and enhanced surface water catchment and water storage dams.
6. Land located within economic transportation distance to a suitable biomass burial and sequestration site. The land should: 1. be less than 50km from, an existing, abandoned open cut mine or an existing below ground level excavation, which is of sufficient size to accommodate at least 12 months, and ideally more than 10 years, of annual biomass production and associated backfilling and sealing earthen material or; 2. contain inside its boundaries, or be less than 5km from, a site of sufficient size and suitable soil type, topography and land-use classification to allow for the digging of an excavation of sufficient size to accommodate at least 12 months, and ideally more than 10 years, of annual biomass production and associated backfilling and sealing earthen material.
Determination as to whether or not a particular land area meets the above selection criteria can be either manual via hard copy maps and/or other land information, or via a computer-based Geographic Information System (GIS) using digital data, maps and/or other land information. Spatial information to be captured and analysed in the site selection process comprises a series of geo-referenced polygon boundaries for each of the invention's key geographic attributes, in the form of hard copy maps or digital datasets. The site selection process if correctly implemented will identify and define a suite of sites with a range of suit abilities, depending upon how well each site meets each selection criterion and the number of relevant selection criterion.
Each site selection criterion is best represented as geo-referenced polygon boundaries defining the area contained by, or satisfying, the description of the key geographic attributes listed in this invention. Each geographic attribute's contribution to, and impact on, the delivery of cost effective biomass-based C02 sequestration is summarised within the descriptions below.
The necessary contiguous land parcels of greater than 100ha in area, can be on one cadastral title or many titles but must form a contiguous block of land with no less than % of the land parcel being currently suitable and available for low rainfall, dryland annual crop cultivation including but not restricted to wheat, oats, barley, canola, lupins, field peas, chickpeas, lentils, clover, annual grasses. A land area of at least 100ha is required to provide economies-of-scale for the invention and to ensure that the cost per unit of sequestered C02 is as low as possible.
The selected land should ideally be largely deforested, and already used for or able to be used for, dryland cultivation and be classified "agricultural use" as distinct from "free range animal grazing and ranching use" so that the biomass production, harvest and sequestration activities, can be efficiently developed and operated to deliver cost effective biomass-based C02 sequestration. If the selected land is not already deforested the total C02 sequestered via implementation and utilization of the invention over a period of say 25 years needs to clearly exceed that of the existing vegetation and land use of the selected land over the same period, and all necessary approvals must be in place to allow for the implementation of the invention.
The land selected for the excavation of biomass burial and sequestration sites and surface water harvesting, must contain a sufficient quantity of soils amenable to optimal compaction and the formation of low hydraulic conductivity (K <10 cm/sec) layers and ideally should contain relatively fine-grained soils (>35% passing 75um) with no greater than 40% clay (<2um particles) and ideally poorly sorted with a reasonably even distribution soil particle sizes.
The land selected for biomass production must not be affected by secondary soil salination, must remain unfrozen at all times, and must have low herbicide residues, particularly "knock down" type herbicides such has "glyphosate".
The land selection criteria and methodologies to evaluate and identify suitable land are essential and critical components of the invention. Access to low cost, suitable land allows for the application of the remainder of the suite of methodologies and technologies, which in combination deliver cost-effective C02 sequestration.
2. Selection of Plant Species for Biomass Production Low rainfall dryland agriculture production is currently dominated by the following annual crop species: wheat, oats, barley, lupins, canola, field peas, chickpeas, lentils, clover and annual grasses all of which are highly susceptible to soil moisture stress during the growing season resulting in significantly higher, long-term average biomass production in higher rainfall zones with shorter time periods between heavier rainfall events than in lower rainfall zones with longer time periods between lighter rainfall events. Long-term, low rainfall dryland agricultural biomass production increases exponentially with annual rainfall and as such, land access costs, (purchase, lease or share-farm), increase exponentially with annual rainfall.
Access to cheap land with a relatively low annual rainfall of less than 375mm per annum is a critical and essential component of the invention and allows for the application of the remainder of the suite of methodologies and technologies, which in combination deliver cost-effective C02 sequestration.
Native Australian coppicing trees, whose natural habitat is low rainfall (less than 375mm per annum) with long time periods between rainfall events (winter average being greater than 7 days) are drought tolerant and not susceptible to soil moisture or heat stress, resulting in an overall higher total annual biomass production per unit area capability than the plant species which currently dominate low rainfall dryland agriculture, when compared on a like-for-like basis. The priority list of native Australian coppicing tree species for planting, biomass harvesting, processing and sequestration, as contemplated by the present invention include, but not restricted to the following species:
o Acacia bartleana o Acacia lasiocalyx o Acacia saligna o Acacia vitoriae o Eucalyptus rudi o Eucalyptus socialis o Jacksonia stembergiana o Paraserianthes lopantha
The selection and use of low rainfall, native Australian coppicing tree species with high biomass productivity as a source of carbon capture for subsequent underground sequestration, are critical and essential components of the invention. The native Australian trees-derived high biomass productivity and resultant high C02 capture per unit area of low rainfall and cheap land is the foundation upon which cost-effective biomass-based C02 sequestration is delivered.
The list of native Australian coppicing trees listed in the present invention are those known from growth and harvesting trails to produce the greatest quantity of biomass per unit area, in low rainfall (<375mm pa) sites. Other native Australian coppicing trees, may have similar or greater biomass production capability in low rainfall (<375mm pa) sites and the list may be expanded as harvest data and production knowledge increases, however all selected plants / trees must be able to exceed a harvestable green biomass production minimum of 10t/ha pa.
The intersection of the exponential relationship between annual rainfall and land access price and the linear relationship between annual rainfall and annual biomass production from the selected native Australian trees defines the cost-effective land access boundary and Australian native tree biomass production capability over low rainfall dryland agriculture land. The selected land area is that where the bionomic yield (biomass production per unit area multiplied by C02 sequestration factor being C02 captured per unit mass of biomass, multiplied by the relevant C02 credit price, minus all non-land access annual costs) exceeds the acceptable rate of return on investment plus annualized land access costs. The identification and use of these relationships are critical and essential components of the invention and allow for the application of the remainder of the suite of methodologies and technologies, which in combination deliver cost-effective C02 sequestration.
The selected native Australian tree species have the ability to "coppice" or regrow after the above ground biomass has been harvested. This characteristic allows the selected tree species to be harvested many times on a regular basis, rather than once in a lifetime as in conventional forestry practices with other tree species ("perpetual forest"). All selected tree species utilised to capture C02 in the invention must be able to coppice after the harvesting of the above ground biomass.
The ability of the selected trees to coppice allows for a significant increase in cumulative above ground biomass production over time compared to that of a "perpetual forest". Coppice tree regrowth biomass has smaller maximum diameter dimensions, compared to that of a "perpetual forest", making it easier to harvest with a mechanical harvester. The increase in biomass production and the ease of harvesting from coppicing native Australian trees are critical and essential elements of the invention, and both contribute to cost-effective, biomass-based C02 sequestration.
The invention contemplates the planting and growing of the selected native Australian coppicing trees on the selected lands. The methodologies for land preparation, planting, weed management and growing of the selected trees are not materially different from those employed in dryland low rainfall agri-forestry. The selected trees will be planted in belts following the contour of the land and comprised of multiple trees, more or less evenly spaced in a grid pattern, of more or less straight rows of trees along the belt and straight lines of trees across the belt forming short rows perpendicular to the belt edge. Inter-belt gaps without trees are to be sufficiently wide to allow for easy movement of planting, watering, harvesting, transporting, inspection and fire-fighting equipment and between 4m and 9m wide. The tree-belt to inter-belt gap area ratio is around 60% trees and 40% gap. Tree planting density over the entire land area allowing for inter-belt gap areas, will be around 1000 trees per hectare.
The use of low rainfall, native Australian coppicing trees with high biomass productivity for C02 capture and sequestration, are essential and critical components of the invention. The construction and harnessing of this specific biomass production system allows for the application of the remainder of the suite of methodologies and technologies, which in combination deliver cost-effective C02 sequestration.
3. Supplementary Watering of Trees In order to: 1. Achieve the optimal plantation layout including: • the ideal tree density and, * the optimal mixture of different tree species by soil type and topography, and to: 2. Maximise the tree's survival and early growth rates; the selected trees are planted within the plantation site, as tree seedlings during the coolest and highest rainfall period of the year, into deep-ripped soils with local and plantation-wide surface soil profiles sculpted to maximise surface water availability to the planted tree roots, in accordance with industry best practice for the establishment of native Australian tree plantations in low rainfall sites.
The survival and early growth rates of native Australian trees planted into low rainfall sites is increased if the trees receive artificial, supplementary water during the dry season, especially in the first and second year after planting, before the trees roots grow large enough to efficiently access all available soil moisture. In areas where sufficient quantities and sustainable yields of low salinity (low total dissolved solids), irrigation quality, surface or ground water sources are available, it is logical to use these water sources for the proposed tree's supplementary watering programme described below.
In areas where sufficient quantities and sustainable yields of low salinity (low total dissolved solids), irrigation-quality, surface or ground water sources are not available, alternative technologies and methodologies (see "Surface Water Harvesting and Storage" section of this document) are employed to create a viable, cost-effective irrigation quality water source for the tree's supplementary watering programme described below.
Irrespective of the source of the irrigation quality water, it is collected into a reservoir located as close as possible to, and no more than 10km from, the geographic centre of the plantation. The biomass plantation covers a large area containing a large number of trees that will benefit from multiple applications of supplementary water each dry season. In the likely scenario of limited available irrigation water, each tree will receive a relatively modest volume of water per application.
Under this likely scenario the most viable and cost-effective method of delivering water from the water reservoir to the plantation, is via a large mobile application water cart (up to 150,000 litres capacity) traversing the plantation along the inter-row gaps. The application water cart will have two booms extending each side and covering all of the rows of trees on each side, up to each adjacent inter-row gap. The booms of approximately 17m in length each side of the application water cart will have a flexible water delivery hose located above each row of trees and extending down from the boom to close to ground level (Figure 1).
The application water cart will move slowly (up to 10 kilometres per hour) along the inter-row gaps of the plantation, applying a relatively small volume of water (up to 20 litres per application per tree) to each tree, several times per dry season. The application water cart will be resupplied with water from a similar sized and configured mobile resupply water cart (Figure 2). The resupply water cart will ferry water from the reservoir to the application water cart, wherever it is actively watering trees within the plantation. The resupply water cart will have high capacity pumps on board, able to efficiently transfer its load of water to the application water cart. Once the resupply water cart has transferred its load, it returns to the water reservoir, refills with a new load of water and delivers it to the application water cart in a continuously repeating cycle.
The supplementary watering of low rainfall, native Australian trees during the dry season with is an essential and critical component of the invention. Supplementary watering directly contributes to the achievement of high biomass productivity and lower operating costs, which in combination contribute to the delivery of cost-effective C02 sequestration.
4. Surface Water Harvesting and Storage
4.1 Requisite Land Attributes and Selection
Surface water harvesting requires the identification and selection of land with the following attributes:
• As close as possible to, and no greater than 10km from the geographic centre of the biomass production plantation, • Greater than 20 ha contiguous land parcels, • Largely deforested, cultivated, with an "agricultural" designated land use • Relatively fine-grained soils (>35% passing 75um) with no greater than 40% clay (<2um particles) and ideally poorly sorted with a reasonably even distribution soil particle sizes, are ideally suitable but any soil that is amenable to optimal compaction and the formation of low hydraulic conductivity (K <10 cm/sec) layers is acceptable, • Zero-to-low agricultural chemical residues to ensure that the surface water run off meets the specification requirements of irrigation quality water, • Dominantly slopes in the range of 1-in-1000 to 1-in-250, • Rainfall less than 375mm per annum, and • Greater than 100m from saline water courses and/or areas of secondary salination.
All of the above listed site selection criteria are essential and critical to the delivery of large volumes of irrigation quality water to the storage reservoir. Determination as to whether or not a particular land area meets the above selection criteria can be either manual via hard copy maps and/or other land information, or via a computer-based Geographic Information System (GIS) using digital maps and/or other land information.
The necessary land parcels of greater than 30ha can be on one cadastral title or many titles but must form a contiguous block of land with over 15ha of land suitable and available for catchment preparation (as described below) with sufficient additional non catchment area for necessary support amenities. A catchment land area of at least 15ha is required to provide economies-of-scale in terms of the total size of the water harvesting and storage facility and resultant earthworks and other infrastructure, to keep the cost per unit of delivered water as low as possible.
Selected land must be largely deforested, cultivated and classified "agricultural use" so that the catchment preparation activities (described below) can be cost-effectively completed, deliver the desired outcome of enhanced surface water run-off and to comply with relevant local land use and water resource management legislation and regulations.
Selected soils must be amenable to optimal compaction to produce a layer with low hydraulic conductivity (K <10 cm/sec) and ideally should be fine-grained soils (>35% passing 75um) with no greater than 40% clay (<2um particles) and ideally poorly sorted with a reasonably even distribution soil particle sizes, within the top 5cm to form an impermeable surface hard pan and maximise surface water run-off.
Selected soils must have very low agricultural chemical residues, so that surface water run-off at least meets the requirements of irrigation-quality water suitable for agricultural irrigation purposes. All prospective catchment soils will be surface sampled and each sample chemically analysed for agriculture chemical residues, with soil sample spacing and the total number of samples sufficient to ensure that the resultant database and conclusions drawn from it are statistically valid. The surface water collected from the prepared catchment will be sampled and chemically and/or micro-biologically analysed with a rate of sampling and total number of samples sufficient to ensure that the resultant database and conclusions drawn from it are statistically valid.
Selected landforms must have a slope gradient in the vicinity of 1 in 1000, and no steeper than 1 in 250, to ensure that surface water run-off velocity is kept low enough so as to not erode or disturb the surface hardpan of the catchment area. Surface water run-off velocity and the resultant kinetic energy should be sufficiently low so that the moving surface water's capacity to suspend sediments of all kinds is limited. Such a low surface water velocity will limit erosion of the catchment and limit the requirements for settling, flocculation and filtration of the harvested water to meet the requirements of irrigation-quality water. Low slope landforms are also critical to limit the volume of earth to be moved to construct the water storage dam, as described below.
Low rainfall, dry land agriculture in Mediterranean climates, is often characterised by secondary salination of watercourses and soils in, or proximal to, valley floors. For example, within Western Australia's wheatbelt every defined watercourse exhibits mild to extreme secondary salination. Surface, fresh water run-off which enters an area of secondary salination readily dissolves a proportion of the salts resident in the soils of the area of secondary salination, resulting in salination of the surface waters, rendering them unfit for irrigation and the supplementary watering purposes described above.
The water harvesting methodology of the present invention avoids this deleterious effect by excluding from the designated catchment area, all areas of secondary salination and by leaving an appropriate buffer of 100 to 150m between the
"Interceptor Banks" (described below) and all saline watercourses and/or areas of secondary salination. This ensures that all harvested and stored surface water remains fresh, is uncontaminated by salts from areas of secondary salination, and as a result has the lowest possible salinity and is fit for irrigation purposes.
4.2 Catchment Preparation and Water Storage The site selection criteria and process described above can be used to identify optimal surface water catchment and storage sites. The invention also describes the preparation, construction, materials and methodologies and operating systems necessary to build and operate the water harvesting, catchment and storage infrastructure contemplated in the site selection criteria previously described and the subject of this invention.
Catchment preparation is necessary to ensure maximum surface water run off. The previously described and selected soil types, being those amenable to optimal compaction and the formation of impermeable layers, ideally fine grained soils (>35% passing 75um) with no greater than 40% clay (<2um particles) and ideally poorly sorted with a relatively even distribution of particles sizes, naturally form a hard pan when: 1. as much organic matter (biomass) as possible is removed, 2. the soil is friable and at maximum moisture content and 3. the soil is subject to compaction via significant compressive forces.
The soil particles are re-organised to relieve the compressive forces, filling the soil voids, allowing soil particles to bind to each other. Soil porosity, permeability and hydraulic conductivity are all significantly reduced, increasing surface water run-off.
The catchment preparation steps are summaries below: 1. Select appropriate soil types, as described above 2. In late summer burn remnant cereal stubble and/or pasture from previous growing season. Ensure a clean burn by burning on a hot, dry day with fire harrows. 3. Allow for a minimum of 25mm of rainfall within a 21 day period. 4. If soil is not friable to 150mm of depth, cultivate with conventional tillage equipment to 150mm, harrow to minimize furrow size and create the smoothest possible surface. 5. Allow for follow on rains of at least 20 mm over a 14 day period to moisten the 150mm cultivated zone.
6. Roll the surface with a tow-along passive smooth roller and/or a self propelled vibrating smooth roller either being capable of applying a compressive force of at least 1OOkN until the uppermost 100mm has a minimum density of 1900kg/m3 at 11% moisture, and/or has formed the desired water-repellent hard pan with a minimum thickness of 100mm (Figures 1, 2 and 4).
7. Apply water insoluble vegetable, animal, insect, mineral, petroleum or synthetic waxes with a melting point greater than 65 degrees Celsius to the compacted soil catchment at a rate of at least 100kg per hectare either mixed with a suitable volatile solvent and/or at a temperature above the melting point of the wax, allowing for liquid application using a modified agricultural chemical boomspray. A novel mixture of suitable vegetable waxes with soil water repellency properties can be extracted from the grain of WA blue lupins (Lupinus cosentinii) by crushing the grain, mixing with water to form a grain-mash slurry, adding a petroleum solvent such as hexane in sufficient volume and with sufficient mixing action to dissolve the contained vegetable waxes, allowing the mixture to settle, decanting the solvent from the top of the mixture, isolating the solvent, heating the solvent until it boils leaving behind the wax for use as the above described soil water repellent and finally recovering the solvent in a retort for recycling within the WA Blue Lupin vegetable wax recovery process described above. The application of the WA Lupin vegetable wax or any other vegetable, animal, insect, mineral, petroleum or synthetic waxes with a melting point greater than 65 degrees Celsius to the compacted soil catchment must not have any detrimental effect on quality of water harvested such that the harvested water is still fit for its intended purpose.
Through the implementation of the catchment preparation methodologies, described above, a very high proportion of received rainfall will run-off as surface water. With such suitably prepared catchment, even the lowest gradients will allow the surface run-off water to migrate down slope. Gradients of around 1 in 1000 are ideal as the surface run off water will have a low velocity, yet a relatively short residence time for most rainfall events that occur within the target catchment area. Slopes of 0.25 in 1000 to 5 in 1000 are still suitable with appropriate surface water management and catchment maintenance practices.
The surface water run-off from the suitably prepared catchment will be intercepted (Figures 3, 4) before it reaches areas of existing secondary salination dominantly in low lying and/or valley floor land. Interceptor banks are constructed from excavated soil on the up-hill side of the bank and the excavation and bank are compacted in the same fashion as that described above for the catchment area. The interceptor banks will be a minimum of 100m up slope from areas of secondary salination and have a minimum height above the catchment surface, sufficient to ensure all surface water run-off during the heaviest rainfall events is intercepted and does not overflow the said interceptor bank. The interceptor banks will more-or-less parallel the natural watercourse with a gradient of no less than 1 in 1000, until a watercourse node area is reached where the interceptor banks will run horizontal across the land slope forming a water collection sump. The interceptor bank height will increase in the down-hill direction reaching a maximum of around 1.5 metres. The interceptor banks will deliver the harvested fresh water to one or more water collection sumps for final pumping into the "Above Ground Turkey Nest Dam", described below.
The collection sump, or sumps, will act as primary settling ponds allowing for a proportion of suspended sediments and other particles to drop out of the collected water prior to pumping into the Above Ground Turkey Nest Dam (Figures 3, 4). Any sediment that settles in the collection sump will be removed from the sump during drought periods, to ensure that the collection capacity of the sump remains greater than the surface water harvested from the catchment during the largest rainfall event within a 20 year period at 95% confidence level. The collection sump or sumps, will be shallow wide excavations to ensure that the near surface saline ground watertable is not penetrated. All collection sumps will be compacted in the same fashion as that described above for the catchment area.
The prevalence of secondary salination from over-recharged, near-surface, saline groundwaters necessitates the construction of water storage dams above the said saline watertable, as any excavation below the said saline watertable will result in saline water infiltration into the dam and saline water contamination of the dam's freshwater body decreasing or eliminating its commercial value. The invention addresses saline groundwater contamination by constructing the water storage dam entirely above the natural land surface in an "Above Ground Turkey Nest Dam" style (Figures 3, 4). The associated circular dam will utilize compacted high-clay content earth "core" and compacted fine-grained soils (>35% passing 75um) with no greater than 40% clay (<2um particles) and ideally poorly sorted with a reasonably even distribution soil particle sizes "shell" dam construction methodologies. The dam will have a wall height of 3 (three) to 8 (eight) metres, wall angles of 30 to 60 degrees from horizontal and a diameter of at least 50m, to contain a water body of sufficient size to achieve capital and operating cost economies-of-scale and to allow for capital and operating cost optimisation in light of off-take and usage patterns and integration with other water storage, delivery and consumption facilities.
Earth for the Above Ground Turkey Nest Dam walls will be excavated from a shallow, wide circular bench-type excavation ideally on the inside of the dam wall, but if necessary also from outside and adjacent to the dam wall. The base of the bench-type excavation must not penetrate or come within 400mm of the saline near surface ground watertable. The bench-type excavation will be between 100 and 1500mm deep covering any amount up to the entire internal surface area of the dam and up to 100m adjacent to the dam wall on the outside of the dam wall to provide sufficient earth material to construct the dam wall. Precise volumes of moved earth will depend on local dam site and construction conditions.
The dam walls will be compacted with a tow-along passive smooth roller and/or a self propelled vibrating smooth roller either being capable of applying a compressive force of at least 100kN incrementally as the earth is laid down in the construction of the dam wall, until the entire dam wall has a minimum density of at least 1900kg/m3 at 11% moisture, and/or has formed the desired compacted and water impermeable dam wall. The floor of the dam, including the bench-type excavation will also be compacted to the same specifications as described immediately above.
The Above Ground Turkey Nest Dam will be constructed on a site as close as possible to the temporary collection sump or sumps, into which the above described interceptor banks empty, and as close as possible to, and no greater than 10km from the geographic centre of the biomass production plantation. The dam construction site will be as flat as possible so that the down slope wall has a minimum height of six metres and a maximum height is as close as possible to six metres.
To reduce evaporation and maximise the availability of collected surface water for subsequent use, the Above Ground Turkey Nest Dam will be covered in a floating roof. The roof will be comprised of High Density Poly-Ethylene (HDPE) sheet, which has a density slightly less than that of water. The buoyancy of the HDPE roof sheet will be increased by the regular placement of floats under the sheet. The roof will be constructed by welding together rolls of HDPE for form a continuous HDPE roof sheet cut and matched to the size and shape of the Above Ground Turkey Nest dam. The HDPE roof sheet may be reinforced with ropes, to assist in moving the roof sheet into position and in anchoring the roof once it is in position.
Water will be pumped from the collection sumps into the Above Ground Turkey Nest Dam and available for use within the tree's supplementary watering programme, described above. The water could also be used for any other irrigation, agricultural, stock-raising, industrial, commercial, recreational or human-consumption end use, as long as the water is "fit-for-purpose" within the selected end use. The water could be delivered to end users by pipleline or canal or batch transportation.
Water for use within the tree's supplementary watering programme will be pumped from the Above Ground Turkey Nest Dam or "reservoir" into the mobile resupply water cart for delivery to the mobile application water cart and subsequent delivery to the trees of the plantation.
The surface water harvesting and storage system is a critical and essential component of the invention, as it provides a cost-effective, significant supply of irrigation-quality water for the tree's supplementary watering programme. The greater the supply of water for the tree's supplementary watering programme the greater the positive impact on survival and early growth rates of the planted trees, which directly contributes to the delivery of cost-effective biomass-based C02 sequestration.
5. Felling, Harvesting and Processing of Above Ground Biomass The above ground biomass of the selected trees will be machine harvested via new technologies and methodologies described below.
The selected native Australian coppicing trees will undergo their first harvest at two to five years from planting, and thereafter be harvested every, every second or every third year for at least 12 harvests, or until harvested biomass production rates begin to decline, at which point the plantation will be allowed to grow undisturbed as a "perpetual forest", accumulating C02 in the roots and above ground biomass or the entire above and below ground plantation biomass may be removed or some or all of the land area may be replanted with the same selected plants / trees, land preparation and plantation layout as previously described in this invention.
The harvesting operation has two separate steps (Figure 5), each with its own novel, custom designed machine, technologies and operating process described in detail below.
5.1 Biomass Felling
The planted tree belts of the plantation will comprise multiple rows of selected native Australian trees between two and four in number. Rows will be between 1.5 and 3m apart, with intra-row plant spacings adjusted to achieve the desire overall plant density of 1000 plants per ha.
A Biomass Felling Machine (Figure 6) is a critical and essential component of the invention. It is based upon a 4 wheel drive Front End Loader ("FEL"), with a wheel track either greater than or less than the tree row spacings, to allow for ease of travel and avoidance of damage to trees including the roots. The selected FEL must also have a net power of at least 75kw, and industry normal parallel lift and tilt mechanism attached to the bucket. The Biomass Felling Machine has 3 key operational components all of which are essential and critical to the operation of the Biomass Felling Machine (Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) and are: 1. the Push Rake 2. the Lateral Biomass Conveyor; and 3. the Felling Beam
5.1.1 The Push Rake The selected FEL bucket is removed and not used in the invention. Where the main lift beam and parallel lift and tilt mechanism attach to the FEL bucket, a Push Rake is attached (Figures 6, 7). The Push Rake is a steel construction wide enough to reach and contact with the foliage of 4 rows of trees at once, and no less than 12.5m in width and around 3m in height.
The Push Rake must be relatively strong but light weight; an ideal construction material is high tensile steel comprising and outside frame of Rectangular Hollow Section (RHS) steel tubing, straight and curved vertical RHS frames on each end and at approximately 2.5m length-wise spacings. Weldmesh steel fills in the areas between the frames of no larger than 100mm x 100mm grid. The RHS and weldmesh should be of diameter or wall thickness to provide the Push Rake with sufficient strength and integrity to enable the Push Rake and the forward motion of the FEL to exert pressure on the foliage of the trees sufficient to bend the trunks of the trees at or near ground level by no less than 5 degrees from vertical.
5.1.2 The Lateral Biomass Conveyor The central flat section of the Push Rake contains the Lateral Biomass Conveyor (Figures 8, 9) comprising the following key components:
1. An upper and lower drive chain, running parallel and horizontally in a loop, the full length of the Push Rake (Figures 8, 9, 10). The upper and lower drive chains are spaced apart at a distance to match the dominant concentration of biomass foliage, ideally around 1.5m apart, 2. An upper and lower drive sprocket around 200mm in diameter (Figure 8, 9, 10) with a horizontal plane of rotation, located at each end of the Push Rake with teeth size and spacing matched to the drive chains, and enmeshed into each of the upper and lower drive chains. Idler sprockets may also be spaced at intervals along the upper and lower drive chains to keep the drive chains suitably tensioned. 3. A series of parallel linkage bars running vertical and perpendicular to the drive chains and connected to the upper and lower drive chains (Figure 8, 9). Each linkage bar is spaced between 100mm and 1000mm apart. Linkage bars are constructed of high tensile steel, ideally angle iron (>50mm x 5mm) or similar strength material. 4. A series of biomass foliage grab hooks (Figure 9, 10) oriented in the direction of travel of the Push Rake and perpendicularly attached to and some or all of the linkage bars and being 50mm to 250mm in length. 5. Two hydromotors located at each end of the Push Rake, with driveshafts running perpendicular to the drive chains and connected from the rotating shaft of the hydromotor to the upper and lower drive sprockets (Figures 8, 9), in a fashion to be able to provide rotational motion to the drive sprockets and the drive chains and thus lateral motion to the Biomass Lateral Conveyor.
5.1.3 The Felling Beam The FEL is further modified, by the addition of a duplicate main lift arm and parallel lift and tilt mechanism, again with the standard bucket removed. The original hydraulic ram and parallel lift and tilt mechanism is moved to one side to create space to fit in the additional parallel lift and tilt mechanism. The additional main lift arm is added to the outside of the original main lift arm at hinge points adjacent to the original main lift arm hinge points. The additional hydraulic rams of the main lift arm and parallel lift and tilt mechanism are connected via fixed and flexible hydraulic oil lines to the FEL's hydraulic power system. Variable flow valve controllers for extension and retraction of the additional hydraulic rams are plumbed into the FEL's hydraulic system and located in the operator's cab.
The additional duplicate main lift arm and parallel lift and tilt mechanism is attached to a steel beam being 12.5m in length and of a rectangular box construction, around
700mm horizontal by 350mm vertical termed the "Felling Beam" (Figure 11), with sufficient wall thickness to provide the beam with self supporting strength and operational integrity. The Felling Beam has 4 horizontal cut outs of around 700mm by mm on the vertical face on the side away from the FEL, from which a circular saw blade of up to 600mm diameter is able to protrude up to its centre point being 300mm from the edge of the beam.
The at the point of attachment to the main lift arm parallel lift and tilt mechanism of the FEL, Felling Beam has another two hydraulic rams aligned sub-vertically and able to be individually activated by the operator to tilt the Felling Beam as necessary to ensure that the Felling Beam can achieve as even ground clearance as possible, when operating across sloping ground.
The circular saw blade is driven by a hydromotor, and the blade and motor mounted securely onto a hydraulic ram whose travel length is 300mm and travel direction is perpendicular to the beam length. The saw blade, hydromotor and hydraulic ram are securely fixed inside the Felling Beam at the same spacing as the rows of trees, between 1.5 and 3.5m apart. The saw blade must be able to move freely in an out of the beam cut out without contact with the beam (Figure 11). The Felling Beam has a series of removable hatches of at least 650mm diameter, fixed in place with a ring of appropriate bolts on the top horizontal face of the steel beam to ensure the structural integrity of the beam is maintained and to allow for repositioning of the saw blade hydromotor and hydraulic ram to suit plantation tree planting patterns and to allow for maintenance and changing of the saw blades as needs be.
The hydromotors and hydraulic rams are connected via fixed and flexible hydraulic oil lines to the FEL's hydraulic power system. Variable flow valve controllers for saw blades rotation and the hydraulic ram extension and retraction are plumbed into the FEL's hydraulic system and located in the operator's cab.
The Biomass Felling Machine (BFM) is operated via the following steps: 1. Start engine ensure BFM fully operational. 2. Drive BFM to the plantation and position the BFM such that its direction of travel is along and parallel to the long axis of the plantation tree belt. Position the centre of BFM at the end of the plantation belt, adjacent to the centre of the selected belt of trees, with the Push Rake and Felling Beam perpendicular to the length of the belt of trees.
3. Raise the Push Rake so that it is centrally located adjacent to the majority of the trees foliage, and adjust the tilt of the push rake so that it is approximately vertical. 4. Engage the circular saw hydromotors of the Felling Beam and ensure that the saw blades are retracted inside the beam. 5. Position the Felling Beam as low as possible to the ground and no more than 100mm above ground level. If necessary adjust the across slope angle of the Felling Beam to ensure that the all tree's cut height's are as even as possible. 6. Drive the BFM forward at a very slow speed (<lkm/hr) until the Push Rake is exerting pressure on the foliage of the rows of trees, sufficient to bend the trunks of the trees at or near ground level by no less than 5 degrees from vertical, at this point stop the forward motion of the BFM and engage the footbrake. Do not damage or move the roots of the trees by over-pressuring the foliage and over-tilting the trunk 7. With correct pressure on the foliage, the trunks slightly bent, the Felling Beam in the correct position, extend the hydraulic rams attached to the circular saws so that the blades protrude out of the cut out in the felling beam and engage with the trunk or trunksofthe tree.
8. Ensure that the trunk or trunks of the tree are completely cut through and detached from the roots
9. Retract the hydraulic rams attached to the circular saws so that the blades retract into the cut out in the Felling Beam.
10. Engage the hydromotors of the Biomass Lateral Conveyor ensuring that the drive chains move and the Biomass foliage grab hooks engage with the foliage of the cut trees and begin to drag the biomass foliage into the inter-row gap
11. Lift the Felling Beam to ensure it is clear of the stumps of the cut trees, ideally more than 200mm above ground level.
12. Nudge the BFM forward in increments of around 200mm and lower and tilt the Push Rake to ensure that the Push Rake and Biomass Lateral Conveyor exerts pressure on the foliage of the felled rows of trees, sufficient for the felled biomass to be engaged by the Biomass Foliage Grab Hooks and dragged into the inter-row gap.
13. Once all of the biomass foliage has been dragged into the inter-row gap, forming a windrow of biomass, disengage the Biomass Lateral Conveyors hydromotors.
14. Raise the Push Rake so that it is centrally located adjacent to the majority of the trees foliage, and adjust the tilt of the push rake so that it is approximately vertical.
15. Drive the BFM forward, over the stumps of the cut trees, avoiding cut tree stumps and roots with the BFM wheels and Felling Beam.
16. Repeat from steps 4 to 15.
The mechanical felling of the biomass and windrowing of the biomass in the inter-row gap are critical and essential component of the invention. Mechanical felling and biomass windrowing allow for a large scale operation, the subsequent application of mechanical biomass pick up and chunking technologies and lower operating costs, which in combination contribute to the delivery of cost-effective C02 sequestration.
5.2 Biomass Chunking A Biomass Chunking Machine (BCM) is a critical and essential component of the invention. It is self propelled machine, similar in external appearance to a combine harvester, having large driving front wheels, smaller rear steering wheels, an elevated operator cab located towards the front, a biomass storage bin located behind the operator's cab and a diesel engine powerplant located behind the biomass storage bin (Figures 12). The diesel engine is matched to an appropriate high capacity hydraulic pump, connected to a hydraulic system of pipes, hoses and control valves and requisite hydromotors and hydraulic rams. The drive wheels are driven by valve-controlled hydromotors.
The BCM has 4 key operational components (Figures 12, 13, 14) all of which are essential and critical to the operation of the Biomass Chunking Machine, and are: 1. the Biomass Collection Front (BCF) 2. the Biomass Transfer Elevator 3. the Biomass Storage Bin 4. the Biomass Outload Elevator
5.2.1 The Biomass Collection Front The Biomass Collection Front (BCF) (Figure 13) is based upon the design of an existing combine harvester front and is around 6m in width, sufficient to pick up the windrow of felled biomass from up to 4 rows of trees within a plantation belt. In cross-section (looking perpendicular to the direction of travel) however, the BCF is twice the size of that of a conventional combine harvester to accommodate the greater biomass volume and harvesting rate as well as the bushy nature of the biomass when compared to cereal-type crops harvested by conventional combine harvesters.
Importantly the biomass feed reel of a conventional combine harvester is replaced with a Biomass Feed Reel and Primary Chunker (BFRPC) (Figure 14) of similar overall design to a conventional combine harvester feed reel but constructed to much higher strength specifications. The BFRPC rotates in a anti-clockwise direction (when viewed side on with the direction of travel to the left) driven by powerful hydromotors at each end attached to the lift arms, which are hinged onto the top of the BCM and able to be raised and lowered by hydraulic rams linking the lift arms to the BCF. The axle of the BFRPC can be moved through a vertical distance of at least 750mm and ideally up to 1.5m.
Critically the BFRPC has multiple and ideally 5 to 7, high carbon steel sharpened linear cutting blades, 100-200mm in width and 10-20mm thick (similar in style to that of road construction grader blade) fixed to, and protruding at least 100mm clear of the BFRPC frame, and running the full length of the BFRPC. The blades are reinforced and supported sufficiently to ensure that they and the entire BFRPC has sufficient strength and durability to be rotated and engaged with the felled biomass resulting in the felled biomass being cut or broken into short lengths and propelled to the rear of the BCF.
The biomass feed auger is around twice the diameter of a combine harvest auger, and no less than 130mm in diameter to the outside edge of the auger flights.
The feed auger of the biomass collection front has cutting curved blades fixed to and perpendicular to the auger's drive axle, spaced no more than 600mm apart along the entire length of the feed auger (Figures 12, 13). The curved blades (the "Secondary Chunker") are made of sharpened high carbon knife steel and may be comprised of 2 or 4 individual cutting blades per installation. The cutting blades extend up to 150mm beyond the outside edge of the feed auger flights, the lower and rear section of the biomass collection front's floor is curved to match the outside arc of rotation of the cutting blades and the cutting blades minimum distance to the curved floor of the front is 5mm.
The axle of the feed auger and cutting blades is driven by at least one variable speed hydromotor and rotates at around 150 RPM adjustable by the operating according to biomass feed rates. The cutting blades cut the biomass into chunks of no more that 600mm length and ideally around 300mm in length allowing the biomass chunks to be moved towards the centre of the BCF by the feed auger.
The entire hydromotor, axle feed auger and cutting blades are connected at each end of the BCF to a sub-vertically directed hydraulic ram able to be extended and retracted, allowing the feed auger and cutting system to be raised in the case of biomass blockages or high feed rate or lowered in normal operation.
Within the centre section of the biomass feed auger, is an arrangement of retractable fingers of similar design to that of a combine harvester but scaled up proportionally. The retractable fingers are operated by an off-centre drive mechanism housed inside the hollow biomass feed auger axle. The retractable fingers extend out from the hollow auger axle to the length of the auger flights as the rotating auger passes the curved floor of the biomass collection front, and retract inside the hollow auger axle for the rest of the rotation. In this way the retractable fingers drag and feed the biomass towards the cut-out at the centre of the Biomass Collection Front and into the Biomass Transfer Elevator, as described below.
All of the wear surfaces of the biomass front are made of bisalloy steel (also known as "hardox" steel) for maximum strength to weight ratio and wear durability.
The BCF does not have a cutting knife as in the case of a conventional combine harvester, but rather high tensile steel fingers slightly curved upwards extend up to 500mm from the leading edge of the front (Figure 13).
The BFRPC is similarly twice the size of a conventional combine harvester being no less than 2m in diameter (Figure 12).
5.2.2 The Biomass Transfer Elevator The feed augers of Biomass Collection Front have opposite spiral threads, which results in the biomass being fed into a central collection point, where the curved lower and rear wall of the biomass collection front is cut-out in a rectangular shape no less than 1m wide (across the front) and 750mm high (from the floor of the front upwards). Securely attached to the rear of the cut-out is the "Biomass Transfer Elevator" (Figure 12, 14); a construction similar in design to a "broad elevator" of a combine harvester, but twice the size and of more robust construction.
The Biomass Transfer Elevator is in the shape of a rectangular prism (cuboid) around 3m in length with a narrowing height dimension towards the rear and contains a conveyor with a front and rear axle oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel and each containing two cogs with matching drive chains oriented parallel to the direction of travel joined with perpendicular angle steel bars with teeth cut into the underside. The axles are driven by hydromotors and as such the angle steel bars move upwards along the floor of the elevator housing, dragging the chunked biomass upwards from the centre of the Biomass Collection Front for transfer to the Biomass Storage Bin.
The Biomass Transfer Elevator housing is attached via a hinge point to the main frame of the Biomass Chunking Machine adjacent to the rear axle and cog bearing. The hinge point allows the Biomass Collection Front and Biomass Transfer Elevator to move up and down. The lower rear of the Biomass Collection Front is attached to two hydraulic rams either side of the Biomass Transfer Elevator, which are attached to the main frame of the Biomass Chunking machine, in a similar fashion to that of a combine harvester. The hydraulic rams are extended or retracted to move the Biomass Collection Front and the Biomass Transfer Elevator, up to the hinge point, up or down with respect to ground level.
5.2.3 The Biomass Storage Bin The Biomass Transfer Elevator deposits the chunked biomass into a steel bin with steeply sloping sides. The Biomass Storage Bin (Figure 14) has a capacity of no less than 3.5m3 and empties at the bottom onto the Biomass Outload Elevator, aligned perpendicular to the direction of travel.
5.2.4 Biomass Outload Elevator The Biomass Outload Elevator is situated under the Biomass Storage Bin, is directed upwards at around 40 degrees from the horizontal and has a length sufficient to ensure chunked biomass can be easily offloaded into a truck or cart for transportation (Figures 12, 14). The Biomass Outload Elevator is driven by one or more hyrdromotors located on the axles at each end.
The Biomass Outload Elevator is engaged, disengaged and varied in speed by valve controls in the operators cab.
The Biomass Chunking Machine is operated via the following steps: 1. Start engine ensure the Biomass Chunking Machine (BCM) is fully operational. 2. Drive BCM to plantation that has already been felled with the Biomass Felling Machine. Position the BCM such that its direction of travel is along and parallel to the long axis of the plantation tree belt. Position the centre of BCM at the end of the first inter-row gap that contains a windrow of felled biomass. Position the centre of the BCM adjacent to the centre of the windrow of felled biomass.
3. Engage all of the hydromotors of the BCF (including the BFRPC and the Biomass Feed Auger) and the Biomass Transfer Elevator. 4. Lower the BCF to around 50mm above the ground level and ensure the Biomass Feed Front is tilted no more than 5 degrees from the horizontal pointing down in the direction of travel. 5. Lower the rotating BFRPC until the cutter blades grab the foliage of the felled biomass and propel the biomass material towards the back of the BCF. The cutting edge of the cutter blades of the BFRPC are lowered to a distance from contact with the BCF wear plate floor sufficiently small to ensure that the cutter blades are able to cut the felled biomass into pieces, ideally being a distance of 1mm to 100mm between the cutter blade cutting edge and the BCF wear plate floor. 6. Slowly drive the BCM forward at a slow speed (<6km/hr) so that the windrow of felled biomass foliage enters the Biomass Feed Auger and is grabbed by the auger flights. 7. The felled biomass is fed towards the centre of the BCF by the auger flights and the curved BCF floor, and encounters the rotating chunking blades during that journey. The chunking blades chop the biomass into smaller pieces such that all of the biomass is less than 600mm in length at the centre collection point. 8. If the Biomass Feed Auger or chunking blades become overloaded with high biomass feed rates, the speed of the auger should be increased to move the biomass quicker. If the feed auger or chunking blades become jammed, the auger should be raised to clear the blockage. 9. The chunked biomass is fed into the Biomass Transfer Elevator with the aid of the retractable fingers at the centre collection point of the Biomass Collection Front. 10. The Biomass Transfer Elevator feeds the chunked biomass into the Biomass Storage Bin, which is designed as a short term storage of biomass for the period that the Biomass Outload Elevator is not operating. 11. As the chunked biomass enters the Biomass Storage Bin, a biomass transportation vehicle being a suitably sized chaser bin or truck is positioned alongside the BCM under the Biomass Outload Elevator, in a similar fashion to that of a grain chaser bin and a combine harvester. 12. Once the biomass transportation vehicle is correctly positioned, the Biomass Outload Elevator is engaged and the chunked biomass loaded into the biomass transportation vehicle until it is full at which point the Biomass Outload Elevator is disengaged and the chunked biomass accumulates in the Biomass Storage Bin.
13. The filled biomass transportation vehicle is driven away from the BCM and an empty biomass transportation vehicle positioned under the Biomass Outload Elevator and steps 11 and 12 are repeated.
The mechanical pick up and chunking of the felled biomass are critical and essential components of the invention. Mechanical pick and chunking of biomass allows for a large scale operation and lower operating costs, which in combination contribute to the delivery of cost-effective C02 sequestration.
5.3 Transportation and Deposition of Biomass The chunked Biomass is received from the BCM into a biomass transportation vehicle for the purpose of transporting the biomass to the selected disposal, that is an economically viable trucking distance from the plantation and no more than 100km of haulage distance. The biomass transportation vehicle can be any size or configuration that allows for safe, efficient and economic transportation of the biomass to, and simple mechanical offloading of the biomass at, the disposal site, and is likely to be similar in design to that employed for the transportation of other low-density free-flowing biomass products such as chopped sugar cane, wood chips, and unbaled grass or hay. Payload per biomass vehicle is in the range of 10 tonne to 150 tonne, with travel speeds in the range of 20km/hr to 100km/hr.
The Biomass Transport Vehicle has a number of electronic load cells between the biomass bin and the vehicle chassis, to ensure that each load is weighed prior to disposal. The biomass load weight is recorded for Carbon Auditing and logistics management purposes. A representative sample of each biomass load is taken by the operator prior to disposal for later analysis for Carbon Auditing and biomass production management purposes.
The biomass transport vehicle is able to offload the biomass load from the biomass bin at the disposal site in a simple mechanical operation, such as end tipping, side tipping, belly dumping, or via end-discharge chain elevators or a moving floor configuration. The vehicle operator / driver is able to operate the machinery to discharge the entire biomass load without the need for any extra manual labour.
The discharge of the biomass is able to be directed accurately at a designated discharge area measuring around 3m x 4m. The entire biomass load is able to be discharged in the range of 30 seconds to 5 minutes from the point of arriving at a standstill adjacent to the discharge area to moving away from the discharge area, unladen.
The efficient loading, weighing, sampling, transportation and unloading of the chunked biomass from the plantation to the biomass burial and sequestration site are critical and essential components of the invention that minimise operating costs and allow for efficient validation and verification of the quantities of biomass-captured C02, which contribute to the delivery of cost-effective biomass-based C02 sequestration.
6. Sequestration of Biomass Depending upon local land uses and the availability of suitable sites within economic transportation distance of the biomass plantation site, the chunked biomass is transported to a biomass burial and sequestration site being either: 1. An existing, abandoned open cut mine or an existing below ground level excavation, which is of sufficient size to accommodate at least 12 months, and ideally more than 10 years, of annual biomass production and associated backfilling and sealing earthen material or; 2. a purpose-built excavation of sufficient size to accommodate at least 12 months, and ideally more than 10 years, of annual biomass production and associated backfilling and sealing earthen material. The sequestration of biomass into an existing abandoned open cut mine or an existing below ground level excavation (option 1 above) will be described first, followed by the second option.
6.1 Biomass deposition into existing abandoned open cut mine or existing below-ground-level excavation In the first biomass sequestration option, the chunked biomass is deposited from the biomass transportation vehicle into the existing abandoned open cut mine or an existing below ground level excavation. In the great majority of such situations the existing abandoned open cut mine or an existing below ground level excavation will be partly filled with water, being near surface ground water, trapped surface run-off water or a combination of both. If the water body is deep enough it will allow the biomass to absorb water to saturation, to allow for the saturated biomass to sink below the water surface as subsequent loads of biomass are added on top. The saturation and sinking of the biomass, removes the biomass from contact with atmospheric oxygen which is required for the survival and viability of the all organisms capable consuming or decomposing woody biomass, including rot-forming fungi, and micro-and macro organisms.
The preservation of the woody biomass is critical to ensuring that the atmospheric C02, which is absorbed by the living plants leaves, converted by photosynthesis into carbohydrates and subsequently converted into the organic molecules that comprise the majority of the mass of woody biomass, including hemi-cellulose, cellulose, lignins and other organic compounds, is not released back into the atmosphere and remains trapped within the woody biomass. When woody biomass rots or is consumed by a living organism, the contained organic compounds are directly or indirectly converted to C02 or other GHGs. Removal of the woody biomass from contact with atmospheric oxygen via water saturation and submersion below the water surface is a critical and essential component of the invention which preserves the biomass and allows for efficient validation and verification of long term C02 sequestration.
The water within the existing abandoned open cut mine or an existing below ground level excavation is ideally saline and preferably hyper-saline (more saline than the ocean) having greater than 3.5% total dissolved salts, and has a low dissolved oxygen content of less than 30% of the water's theoretical dissolved oxygen saturation value (hypoxic to anoxic), to ensure that fresh water and marine micro- and macro-organisms which may directly or indirectly feed upon woody biomass are absent or unviable and as such have no material impact on the degradation and decomposition of the woody biomass.
6.2 Backfilling and sealing of biomass In the first biomass sequestration option, the chunked biomass is submerged and sunk beneath the surface of the water and more chunked biomass is added on top until no more biomass is able to be submerged beneath the surface of the water. At this point the saturated biomass and enveloping water is back filled with earth being rock, crushed rock, soil or other similar material.
Once the layer of backfilled earth material is thick enough to support earth compacting machinery the buried biomass and earth material, is covered with several (at least two) layers of fine-grained soils (>35% passing 75um) with no greater than 40% clay (<2um particles) and ideally poorly sorted with a reasonably even distribution soil particle sizes, of sufficient thickness (not less than 1m thick each), lateral continuity and uniformity, and suitable moisture content to ensure optimal compaction and water and air impermeability, is achieved. The fine grained soils are deposited in layers, watered and compacted in accordance with industry best practices to achieve optimal compaction and water and air impermeability, to ensure that the buried and sequestered biomass is permanently removed from contract with atmospheric oxygen.
In the first biomass sequestration option, the chunked biomass is deposited from the biomass transportation vehicle into an existing abandoned open cut mine or an existing below ground level excavation. In the great majority of such situations the existing abandoned open cut mine or an existing below ground level excavation will be partly filled with water, being near surface ground water, trapped surface run-off water or a combination of both. Often this water is highly saline. If the water body is deep enough it will allow the biomass to absorb water to saturation, to allow for the saturated biomass to sink below the water surface as subsequent loads of biomass are added on top. The saturation especially with highly saline water, burial and sealing of the biomass, removes the biomass from contact with atmospheric oxygen which is required for the survival and viability of the all organisms capable degrading, decomposing or consuming woody biomass, including rot-forming fungi, and micro-and macro-organisms.
6.3 Deposition of biomass into purpose built excavations In the second biomass sequestration option, the chunked biomass is deposited from the biomass transportation vehicle into a purpose-built excavation located as close as possible to the geographic centre of the biomass production plantation to minimise the biomass transportation distance. Ideally, the purpose-built excavation site will be located within an area of sufficient area to construct a number of similar purpose-built excavations to accommodate future biomass production.
Alternatively purpose-built excavation sites could be smaller; able to accommodate a shorter term supply of biomass, and thus greater in number and distributed within, adjacent or proximal to the biomass production plantation. The latter location option is likely to have greater biomass transport distances and to require more complex logistical planning and operations.
The significant reduction, to elimination, of atmospheric oxygen interaction with the buried and sequestered biomass within the trench (ie. anaerobic to anoxic conditions) is critical to ensuring that the biomass does not degrade or decompose and thus to achieving and maintaining successful underground CO 2 sequestration. Key factors for creating and maintaining anaerobic to anoxic environment in the biomass trench include: • choosing a burial site with thick fine-grained soils (>35% passing 75um) with no greater than 40% clay (<2um particles) and ideally poorly sorted with a reasonably even distribution soil particle sizes, • excavating a deep biomass trench with a low surface area,
* optimally compacting relatively thin layers of biomass, * rapidly burying and sealing the biomass with a thick layer of optimally compacted fine-grained soils (>35% passing 75um) with no greater than 40% clay (<2um particles) and ideally poorly sorted with a reasonably even distribution soil particle sizes
In order to ensure that the purpose built excavation, backfilling and compaction operations are completed for the lowest possible cost, medium-to-large scale and efficient earthmoving equipment is utilised, and the topography of the site must be relatively flat. The fine-grained soil profile must be largely free of pebbles, boulders and rocks and be amenable to efficient deep ripping with a medium-to-large bulldozer and amenable to excavation with a medium-to-large motor scraper (~20m3 bowl) to at least 6m below the natural ground level, with or without pre-ripping.
Each excavation site is comprised of one or more parallel trenches, up to 6m deep, 3m wide and a minimum of 50m long. Each trench is constructed to have the minimum practical surface area to volume ratio; as such it is critical that each trench is a deep as is, practically and safely possible (Figure 15). Fine grained soils are characterised by sufficient natural rheological strength to ensure the trench's free standing walls are as steep as possible for the greatest depth possible, whilst remaining safe and free from collapse risk. Such soil attributes are important to minimising the trench's surface area to volume ratio.
The excavated soil from the each trench is stockpiled adjacent to the trench at a suitable safe working distance from the edge of the trench and is used to backfill and cover the adjacent trench (Figure 15). When the first trench is fully excavated, it is filled with chunked biomass in a series of layers approximately 300mm thick. A layer of fine grained soil is added on each layer of biomass before both soil and the chunked biomass is watered and compacted to optimal compaction with a vibrating sheep foot mobile compactor. The soil must be at optimal moisture content during compaction and as such may require artificial addition of water during compaction, in accordance with industry practices. The addition of highly saline water during the compaction process is preferred over fresh water, for the purposes of creating a hostile environment for micro-and macro-organisms associated with the decomposition or degradation of woody biomass. This process is repeated for each deposition layer.
When each trench is filled with compacted biomass and soil layers, fine grained soil is deposited on the top of the biomass filled trench in a series of layers approximately
300mm thick compacted to optimal compaction with a vibrating sheepsfoot mobile compactor between each layer's deposition. The soil must be at optimal moisture content during compaction and as such may require artificial addition of water during compaction, in accordance with industry practices. At completion, the biomass filled trench will appear as an elongate mound around 4.5m high (Figure 15).
Permanent removal of contact between the biomass and atmospheric oxygen by deep excavating in fine grained soils, depositing biomass and backfilling and optimally compacting fine grained soils to form impermeable sealing layers encapsulating the biomass, are critical and essential components of the invention. The sequestration of biomass in an anaerobic underground environment allows for independent verification and validation that the captured COs is effectively sequestered in accordance with established carbon accounting principles.
6.4 Sequestered Biomass Monitoring A statistically valid number of temperature probes are buried with, or inserted into, the buried and sequestered biomass to monitor the temperature of the buried and sequestered biomass. Temperature anomalies are a strong indicator of biomass hydrolysis processes; the first step in all biomass degradation and decomposition processes. Temperature anomalies will require a detailed inspection of the compacted fine grained soil, impermeable sealant layers and the identification and resealing of cracks, gaps or breaches and/or treatment of at risk areas of biomass with preservatives and resealing. Monitoring wells may be drilled through the earth backfill into the saturated biomass to further monitor the buried and sequestered biomass and direct remedial management practices to ensure the buried and sequestered biomass remains preserved.
Long term monitoring of the conditions of the buried and sequestered biomass and identification of early warning signs of biomass degradation, allowing for prompt and efficient remedial action is a critical and essential component of the invention and directly contributes to an independent verification and validation that the captured COs is effectively sequestered in accordance with established carbon accounting principles.
Australian Patents Act 1990 01 Apr 2020
Standard Patent Application 2020202329
Enhanced Biomass-based CO2 Sequestration This invention is described in the following statement
Figure 1. End view overview of application water cart, in position to traverse the inter-row gap and water 2 adjacent tree belts (tree rows).
Figure 2. Side view overview of resupply water cart. The resupply water cart has same tanker, chassis and axles as the application water cart, but no irrigation boom.
Figure 3. Water Harvesting Schematic Overview: Plan View 01 Apr 2020
Water Harvesting Company’s Cadastral Boundary (1500 to 2500ha)
saline watercourse compacted soil, interceptor bank enhanced run-off catchment area compacted earth dam walls (minimum to 1200ha)
high-clay content soil 2020202329
public road delivery to exist- ing high pump capacity 3 gigalitre water water body Existing High pipleine (50ha) Capacity Water Pipeline (or Canal) surface run-off collection sump
interceptor bank reforestation areas (200 to 1200 ha)
Figure 3. Plan view illustration showing the field relationships of key components being: the prepared catchment area, interceptor banks, collection sump(s), and above ground dam. Surface water readily runs off the prepared catchment, is intercepted before reaching areas of secondary salination by the interceptor banks and is channelled into the collection sump for pumping into the above ground dam. Figure 4. Water Harvesting Schematic Overview: Side View
post-Water Harvesting, reduced recharge, lowered watertable
Figure 4. Side view cross-sectional illustration of the prepared catchment, interceptor bank / 01 Apr 2020
collection sump and the above ground water storage dam’s up-hill and down-hill walls and the dams’ required soil-sourcing bench-type excavation on the inside of the dam walls. The harvested water may be pumped from the collection sump into the Turkey Nest dam through one or more pipes that go through the dam wall or go over the top of the dam wall, or both. 2020202329
Figure 5. An overview of the Biomass Felling Machine and the Biomass Chunker Machine in operation within the tree plantation, in plan view
Figure 6. An Overview the Biomass Felling Machine in side view
Figure 7. An overview of the Push Rake in plan view.
Figure 8. An end view overview of the Biomass lateral Conveyor and Push Rake.
Figure 9. A side view overview of the Biomass Lateral Conveyor and Push Rake.
Figure 10. A close up top view overview of the Biomass Lateral Conveyor drive mechanism showing biomass grab hooks.
Figure 11. An Overview of the Felling beam in plan view.
Figure 12. An overview of the Biomass Chunking Machine in plan view.
Figure 13. An overview of the Biomass Chunking Front in isometric view, with the Biomass Feed Reel and Primary Chunker removed.
Figure 14. An overview of the Biomass Chunker Machine in side view.
Figure 15. An overview of the biomass sequestration trenches in end view.
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| AU2019901126 | 2019-04-02 | ||
| AU2019901126A AU2019901126A0 (en) | 2019-04-02 | Enhanced Biomass Carbon Sequestration |
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| AU2020202329A1 true AU2020202329A1 (en) | 2020-10-22 |
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Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN112292990A (en) * | 2020-11-04 | 2021-02-02 | 董小铃 | Inter-planting type forage grass sowing machine and sowing method |
| CN115445393A (en) * | 2022-01-21 | 2022-12-09 | 贵州天翼恒盛矿产资源工程设计有限公司 | Method for improving carbon sequestration efficiency of soil and underground water |
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2020
- 2020-04-01 AU AU2020202329A patent/AU2020202329A1/en active Pending
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN112292990A (en) * | 2020-11-04 | 2021-02-02 | 董小铃 | Inter-planting type forage grass sowing machine and sowing method |
| CN115445393A (en) * | 2022-01-21 | 2022-12-09 | 贵州天翼恒盛矿产资源工程设计有限公司 | Method for improving carbon sequestration efficiency of soil and underground water |
| CN115445393B (en) * | 2022-01-21 | 2024-04-26 | 贵州天翼恒盛矿产资源工程设计有限公司 | Method for improving carbon sink efficiency of soil and underground water |
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