Blockchain & Sensorization in the World of Fuel Wood

Particularly the latter thereby transformed the human trajectory like no other.

So, already from a culinary perspective it is very important to know where a piece of fuel wood came from and how it was prepared.

Then there is of course the hugely important question of sustainability. Did the tree come from a sustainably managed forest?

And finally, the question of regionality is increasingly taking center stage. How fare did the wood travel?

Together they are sending a clean message: traceability of wood is everything! Fortunately, this is already common practice in many parts of the wood and forestry sector. Traditionally this is done via database linked, automated identification and infotracing systems that rely on specific marking pressed into the surface of the logs.

A time consuming and costly process which can be falsified or corrupted.

ENTER BLOCKCHAIN

However new and emerging technologies show great promise in streamlining and tamper proofing the practice. Chief amongst them is the blockchain technology. It works by users, so called nodes, adding new blocks of data to a chain of digital information. The chain is thereby cryptographically linked which makes it highly secure and resistant to manipulation.

Furthermore, is the information of the individual blocks as well as the whole chain always visible to all users of the network, making it intrinsically transparent and even more difficult to hack.

Because it is decentralized it is also called “distributed ledger technology”.

But how is this technology applied in the tracking of wood?

At the time of logging, a trees GPS coordinates are recorded in a block of data. This block then gets securely added to the blockchain. On the log itself a so called “small tag” (which can be anything from an QR code to an RFID chip) gets attached and links it to the GPS information in the blockchain.

Every time the log arrives now at its various destinations throughout the supply chain its smart tag gets scanned, and it is revealed where exactly the tree was logged. The location gets automatically checked against a database of illegal logging areas. If it were from such an area, it would be immediately blocked.

The digital transaction documents such an interaction creates, are also continuously added to the blockchain, allowing the complete, and secure tracking of a trees journey, from forest to finished product. In the fuel wood use case it could be also used to verify that a piece of wood was indeed airdried for the purport amount of time at a given location.

Of course, does also this system rely on the honest and accurate transference of smart tags between cut portions of the tree during processing. However, there are several ways to verify the location information. Chief amongst are isotopic and genetic fingerprinting.

While the one takes advantage of the natural variations of stable isotopes (non-radioactive forms of atoms) stored within the wood the other analysis the woods unique genetic patterns.

They are the both compared to existing sample libraries, allowing an accurate localization. If employed frequently both methods should be a strong deterrent for fraudulent activity.

ENTER SENSORIZATION

Traceability is not the only area where new technologies like blockchain and smart tags offer exciting solutions when it comes to fuel wood.
Also, the very place of its burning, the oven itself, be it a small wood burning stove in the home setting or a full-size pizza oven, can profit from smart digitalization.
It all starts with the incorporation of a full suite of connected sensors inside as well as outside of oven and its exhaust system.

This so called “sensorization”, a modern technology trend to insert many sensors in the same device or thing, allows for continuous measurements of a host of parameters. It first started with the dawn of the smartphone and has since spread to many other consumer devices.
After digitalization, it is also seen by most experts as the second necessary step, towards Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution.

By allowing machines or devices to use these sensors to essentially monitor themselves it eliminates human monitoring and frees up resources for more critical areas. Ad a next step the data collected by the sensors can then be used for machine optimization.

In the case of the oven sensors initially enable a computerized monitoring of the dynamic combustion process. Subsequently does the continuous stream of data allow for thermo-fluid dynamic parameters optimization, ensuring best performance.

This is particularly useful for both energy recovery and full compliance with the regulations governing the emission of combustion fumes. An all-important ability to have in a world with ever stricter emissions rules.

COMBINING BLOCKCHAIN & SENSORIZATION

Using the example of fuel wood used in a culinary setting, the combination of complete traceability and sensorized high-quality ovens allows for fascinating new use cases.

With the quality as well as sustainable provenance of fuel wood 100% guaranteed restaurateurs can be certain that their dishes always have the same high quality. This is only amplified by the wood fried oven self-adapting to a host of outside conditions while continuously delivers exacting performance.

Also, can the ovens burn characteristics be customized to the type of wood they are burning and the specific dish they are carrying. Is it a light, seafood dish that only needs a hint of smoke while still cooking at a high temperature, or is it a hearty beef dishes that needs both a lot of smoke and a high temperature?

By furthermore mapping the flavor characteristics of various types of fuel wood at different burning temperatures, ovens could also be preloaded with cooking profiles that tale advantage of these varying flavors during the different stages of the cooking process. Even the pairing of several types of wood and its characteristic flavor note to specific dishes, would be finally possible.

Ultimately did the future of the fuel wood and wood fired oven never looked brighter. By combining time-honored knowledge and traditions with cutting edge technology, ovens will not only become highly efficient in every way but would also allow for a plethora of new flavors and textures.

Innovative startup in the field of Digital Transformation – aims to create the digital portal where consumers, professional operators of the wood and agroforestry chain, public institutions and research bodies meet.

Altrefiamme will be present at the next editions of WoodExperience 2021 and Progetto Fuoco 2022 during which the Project and the advantages for all Stakeholders in the supply chain will be better described.