Long-Log Chipper Selection Through Computer Simulation

Chipping tree-length logs in plants located in the forests reduces cost and improves quality. However, because such a plant is usually tied to a very weak power line, a motor selected by conventional methods is seldom acceptable. Such a motor would produce power surges intolerable to the utility. By using a wound-rotor motor, and by selecting the right combination of motor horsepower, inertia, and number of knives, it is possible to achieve the highest rate of production which does not produce unacceptable power surges. A method is presented to achieve this through simulation of the transient behavior of the chipper on an analog or a digital computer. Comparison of computer results against tests conducted on a long-log chipper shows good agreement.