Euro Graff Harvester
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We recently spotted an article in Profi magazine written by longstanding FARM SHOW contributor Andrew Sewell. His report considers a couple of versions of a black 3-axle combine harvester (Vol. 48, No. 4) spotted in Europe. While here’s still no official word on exactly who’s behind the machines, he did include an assessment of what’s happening inside them, such as the size and type of the separator fitted.
The first version was a graff harvester where no sieves were fitted, and the grain and chaff were collected together (along the lines of Bob McLeod’s harvesters). The newer version is a broadly conventional combine harvester, with about an 86-in. drum width and probably eight straw walkers behind it.
As all the tires are underneath the separator, the whole machine is still just under 10 ft. wide for transport. Clearly, with such a wide drum, one of the design goals was to get more threshing capacity than any other conventional combine while reducing its transport width. That matters on Europe’s increasingly busy roads and applies whether carried as a load on a truck or if traveling under its own power. In some parts of Europe, there are strict limits on the maximum width, height and length, plus total and axle weights, of agricultural vehicles on the road.
He also looked at why you might collect the chaff. Chaff collection has quietly been happening in parts of France for a few years, sometimes for cattle feed, sometimes for poultry litter, and sometimes to put in an anaerobic digester to produce methane, which is usable energy that can be sold while maintaining the nutrient cycle.
Energetic use is interesting, as at the average U.K. wheat yield of 8 t/ha (7,142 lbs./acre), around 1 2/3 t/ha (850 lbs.) of chaff might be expected, which could all go to a digester. The calorific value of the methane produced can also be expressed as a quantity of diesel of equal calorific value, such as the number of gallons per acre. Farmers worldwide can easily relate to those units of measure and understand the work they could do with that amount of energy.
In the case he figured, the number was almost 40 gals. (U.S.)/acre of diesel. Most U.K. farms will run much less fuel than that for their entire fieldwork.
He concluded that it could offer energy self-sufficiency for U.K. arable agriculture by using a by-product currently thrown back on the soil. Multiple technologies to achieve it already exist. In addition to anaerobic digestion to produce methane, the same feedstock could, by cellulosic fermentation, produce ethanol. In both cases, it needs to be done locally to minimize the transport costs of a bulky product and retain the necessary local nutrient cycles.
It’s an interesting read. The original article can be found in their Harvest 2024 issue and is available for purchase on the Profi website: https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/profi or ph 888-777-0275).
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Euro Graff Harvester COMBINES Chaff Savers We recently spotted an article in Profi magazine written by longstanding FARM SHOW contributor Andrew Sewell His report considers a couple of versions of a black 3-axle combine harvester Vol 48 No 4 spotted in Europe While here’s still no official word on exactly who’s behind the machines he did include an assessment of what’s happening inside them such as the size and type of the separator fitted The first version was a graff harvester where no sieves were fitted and the grain and chaff were collected together along the lines of Bob McLeod’s harvesters The newer version is a broadly conventional combine harvester with about an 86-in drum width and probably eight straw walkers behind it As all the tires are underneath the separator the whole machine is still just under 10 ft wide for transport Clearly with such a wide drum one of the design goals was to get more threshing capacity than any other conventional combine while reducing its transport width That matters on Europe’s increasingly busy roads and applies whether carried as a load on a truck or if traveling under its own power In some parts of Europe there are strict limits on the maximum width height and length plus total and axle weights of agricultural vehicles on the road He also looked at why you might collect the chaff Chaff collection has quietly been happening in parts of France for a few years sometimes for cattle feed sometimes for poultry litter and sometimes to put in an anaerobic digester to produce methane which is usable energy that can be sold while maintaining the nutrient cycle Energetic use is interesting as at the average U K wheat yield of 8 t/ha 7 142 lbs /acre around 1 2/3 t/ha 850 lbs of chaff might be expected which could all go to a digester The calorific value of the methane produced can also be expressed as a quantity of diesel of equal calorific value such as the number of gallons per acre Farmers worldwide can easily relate to those units of measure and understand the work they could do with that amount of energy In the case he figured the number was almost 40 gals U S /acre of diesel Most U K farms will run much less fuel than that for their entire fieldwork He concluded that it could offer energy self-sufficiency for U K arable agriculture by using a by-product currently thrown back on the soil Multiple technologies to achieve it already exist In addition to anaerobic digestion to produce methane the same feedstock could by cellulosic fermentation produce ethanol In both cases it needs to be done locally to minimize the transport costs of a bulky product and retain the necessary local nutrient cycles It’s an interesting read The original article can be found in their Harvest 2024 issue and is available for purchase on the Profi website: https://shop kelsey co uk/profi or ph 888-777-0275
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