Far Eastern Aerostatic Center (FEAC) AEROS

NECESSITY OF USING AEROSTATS AND BALLOONS FOR LOGGING

A. Abusov, Director, Far-Eastern Aerostatic Center (FEAC) 'AEROS', Khabarovsk, Russia

At the present time Russia’s timber industry, particularly in its Far- Eastern region and Siberia, is facing a number of problems connected with wood harvesting

Timber felling site's, remoteness from populated areas causes supplementary expenditures for building and maintenance of wood-roads and bridges. It also influences the deterioration of hauling units, logs and of removal productivity, so that the net cost of the wood is in the end scaled up.
The main resources of high-grade timber are located in regions of difficult of access or in prohibited areas
where conventional mechanisms cannot be used for logging.
The main problem is that in warm seasons volumes of forest harvesting operations are reduced because of some woodcutting areas becoming inaccessible for land transport.
Environmental deterioration is another problem. Clean wood dragging and machinery movement on the slope lead to essential damage to the topsoil, and it stimulates extra spending for soil and forest recreation.
These expenditures can become very sizeable.
Besides, about 80% of streams spring from woodland, so by being damaged and polluted it may cause and influence more global ecological problems.
In the Far Eastern region of Russia and Siberia, old technology with chiefly caterpillars are used, this technology is based on the method of wood skidding and consequently has a negative influence on undergrowth and soil condition.

The use of foreign traditional technology, does not resolve the above problems. Machines made by foreign companies, for example TimbCo, Timberjek and others are more productive and reliable, but they do have high prices and have a number of shortcomings such as:

- they need additional wood roads to woodcutting areas;
- despite modern technology of felling and logging they do not exclude the underbrush damage as well as considerable soil disturbance, particularly during warm seasons;
- inability to log over very steep slopes (more than 30 degrees) and in prohibited areas;
- inability to make partial cuts.

Some companies have tested helicopter logging in the Khabarovsk territory of Russia. This technology allows the reduction of the above shortcomings to practically zero. However, one disadvantage is that of high fuel costs and service costs of helicopter logging, combined with high insecurity of such work.

It is imperative to have technology that has all advantages of air logging but has no negative features which make helicopter logging, dangerous and very expensive.
Such technology exists; aerostatic airborne vehicles (aerostats-balloons) can provide secure working conditions combined with low costs and still continue to be extremely efficient in the extraction of timber.

Aerostats - are balloons used for logging, they operate as a lift-augmented skyline system most suitable for downhill yarding. The balloons are used to lift the logs free of the ground, while the cable system restrains and transports the turn. This enables these balloon systems to be used in order to log extremely difficult terrain with minimum site and nature disturbance.

Balloon logging systems have a maximum yarding distance up to 1500 metres depending on the situation. This feature lessens the road requirements considerably over highland and many skyline systems. Long, unbroken slopes that would be difficult to log and would require expensive and environmentally questionable mid-slope roads for conventional skyline logging are most suitable for aerostats-balloons.
Comparison of various systems for mountain wood harvesting

	Helicopter Mi-8MTV	Balloon logging system Q=3,5 tons	Skidding caterpillar TT - 4	Cable system ML-43	Cable system ML-59	Systems Timberjeck Harvester 1270 Forwarder 1110
Scheduled payload, m³	2 - 3	2 - 3	8 - 14	2 - 4	5 - 8	8 - 10
Shift output, m³	100-150	100-120	60-80	30-50	80-100	200-250
Operating personnel	6	8	7	8	8	3
Equipment cost, in US$	$ 3,500000 plus 800-1000 $ per hour	$ 200,000	$ 25,000	$ 45,000	$120,000	$ 700,000
Necessity to build wood roads, runs	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Devastation of undergrowth during logging, %	0	0	80	75	60	60
Soil deterioration, %	0	0	100	80	60	100
Noiseaffecting on live organisms, %	100	0	100	50	50	100
Safety of work, %	0	80	50	80	80	50
Maximal logging distance, km	3 - 5	1.5 - 2	0.3 - 0.5	0.3 -0.5	0.5 - 0.7	0.3 -0.5

Advantages in the transportation of wood by aerostats and balloons

From all evidence one can ascertain that the balloon cable system has considerable advantages over other wood harvesting technologies. The system occupies a certain position between helicopter and ground machines combining in itself the best features of ground and air logging. Besides, it has attractive prospects for development that may be proved by the following supplementary conveniences:

Possibility to use chain balloon logging system containing two or more unites working in one line in to extend yarding distance up to 7-10 km.
Possibility of using large payload balloons or aerostats (5, 7, 10 tons).
Logs can be yarded both downhill and uphill. With such technological flexibility the gradient of a slope does not matter whatsoever. Wood can also be logged from a hollow and from behind hills. All this demonstrates state of the art technology and high mobility of the system.
Lighting mounted on the towing implements allows work to be carried out in hours of darkness.
Undergrowth and soil are not subjected to deterioration due to the balloon or aerostat being settled directly above the timber during lifting.
With the help of aerostats (balloons) clearcuts as well as partial cuts are possible.
Winch machines can be placed both on the ground and on water vessels (raft, barge, ship etc.), while logging on a steep slope along a stream or bay. This adds even greater mobility to the aerostats(balloons).
Balloon logging adds safe working conditions, unlike helicopter yarding, which is operated from the ground by an operator.
Unlike conventional cable logging systems, aerostat-balloon systems do not need hacking routes for main and haulback lines.

The necessity of using aerostats - balloons today for wood harvesting in Far East Russia and other regions are mainly dictated by the following:

Almost all regions located in the immediate proximity to railways and main roads have are already been deforested, meanwhile large resources of good lumber wood are growing in mountainous and areas of difficult access, and can ONLY be harvested with the help of air logging.

Use of helicopters for timber harvesting makes the prime cost of timber uneconomic as the cost of helicopter logging is $25-$35 per cubic meter of timber.
The cost of logging by using our aerostat-balloon technology is $2.5-$4.5 per cubic meter.

At the present time aerostatic equipment, according to present legislation, does not need licensing for it's use. The most crucial thing however is that this technology is the best way to meet the raising requirements of the forest environment. Our balloons (aerostats) may work with a wind of upto 15 m/sec, while parking near the ground can withstand wind upto 25 m/sec.

In the USA and Canada balloons are used for wood yarding, however this balloon technology has not received wide popularity. Russian Far-Eastern Aerostatic Center 'AEROS' thoroughly studied aerostat and balloon logging world-wide and has come to a conclusion about availability of using aerostats for wood harvesting in practise. First of all, manufacturing and the exploitation of our aerostats will be 5-7 times less expensive than of foreign analogues. Apart from that, we have tried to avoid some technological errors made by foreign colleagues, in particular, using balloons at very low altitudes where gusty and unstable winds are commonplace.

Aerostatic systems developed and manufactured by FEAC 'AEROS'

ATS - 1.5; ATS - 3.5; ATS - 5

The systems include balloons with natural shapes which move with the help of two single-drum winches.

Technical	ATS-1.5	ATS-3.5	ATS-5
Balloon shape	"onion"	"onion"	"onion"
Diameter	16 m	21 m	23 m
Volume	2900 m3	5100 m3	7700 m3
Payload	1500 kg	3500 kg	5000 kg
Winch engine power	200 hp	300 hp	450 hp
Logging distance	1000 m	1500 m	1500-2000 m
Winch undercarriage	optional	optional	optional
System cost, in US$	$ 110,000	$ 200,000	$ 400,000

ATS - 1A

The system consists of two aerodynamic aerostats AZ-55 placed in one line in parallel to each other in order to be able to work synchronously. The distance between aerostats is 30-50 meters. The system moves with the help of two one-drum winches LNZ-151.

Aerostat shape	Aerodynamic with Y-shape empennage
Length	26 m
Diameter	8 m
Volume	750 m3
Payload	700 –1000 kg
Winch pulling force	4000 kg/force
Undercarriage	Optional
System cost, in US$	$ 70,000

Specialists of FEAC have two years experience in helicopter logging and possess the unique equipment some of which was submitted to us by military astronauts. FEAC has already 80% of funds needed to put projects into practice. But we do need additional investments of about 10 -15 thousand US$. We are now looking for a partner/sponsor who will be able to help us buy various equipment (auto chassis for winches, gas fillers and an extra amount of gas-cylinders etc.). The partner or sponsor who invests in our projects will have the exclusive rights to the use of our technology in other regions and countries.

If you have any queries about purchasing any parts or systems, or if you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact FEAC "AEROS" on:

E-mail: dal@aeros.khv.ru