Method of Expert Assessment of Stimulation of Field Drying in Milled Peat Harvesting

• Main Authors: Chertkova Elena, Sizova Victoria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: EDP Sciences 2018-01-01
• Series: E3S Web of Conferences
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20184101048

The article gives the expert assessment data on the selection of the best ways of low-moisture peat harvesting by a milling method. They are essential to reducing the energy expenditure for the artificial drying of peat and ensuring the quality characteristics of raw material required for further thermochemical processing. The R&D efforts towards stimulation of the field drying of crumb peat are analyzed. The method of prioritization is applied in expert assessment. An appropriate significance rank value is assigned to each method. Mathematical estimate of the expert information reliability is made by the range and the variance of total ranks. The consistency of experts’ decisions on the assessment of the milled peat drying stimulation methods was checked by the relative range of significance values as well as the actual and the estimated strength of an expert group. Preference is given to two options: peat drying to harvesting humidity of 35% in thick layers and that on the slopes of pre-formed swaths of raw peat crumb.