The objective of the present study is to construct and evaluate a prototype screw pelleting machine to be used for sugar beet tops. Pelleting machine was fabricated on a private workshop in Dosuq City and tested at Sakha Animal Production Research Station Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate during summer season of 2010. The effect of screw revolving speeds, raw material moisture content and die hole diameters on machine productivity, power requirement, energy consumed and pelleting cost. Also, the effect of tested parameters on pellets quality such as stiffness, durability and pellets bulk density were taken into consideration. Hence the pellets were subjected to heated air at 70 oC, during their treatment in the drying unit. Results indicated that, the optimum operating conditions of the proposed prototype was at screw revolving speed of 180 rpm, raw materials moisture content of 25.74 % (w.b) and die hole diameter of 16 mm. Whereas, it gave machine productivity of 0.098 Mg/h, power requirement of 3.10 kW and energy consumed of about 31.71 kW.h/Mg. Moreover, the optimum operating conditions gave the best pellets quality as well as pellets stiffness of 135.5 N, durability of 95.43 % and pellets bulk density of about 2.136 g/cm 3 . However, the cost calculations proved that, the pelleting cost by using the proposed prototype was reached about 105.20 EGP/Mg. INTRODUCTION ugar beet is an important crop, not only for sugar production, but also for producing fodder and organic matter for the soil. The cultivated area of sugar beet were 104,525 hectare gave 5,138,190 of sugar beet roots and 1,493,226 tons tops, respectively (ASMOA, 2009). Beet tops consist of about one third crown and two thirds leaves.
Experiments were carried out by using a new modified header modification made on CLAAS Dominator 68™ harvesting combine. This work done to minimize header losses for soybean harvesting and to trace the effects of combine forward speeds of 1.92, 2.25, 2.41 and 3.11km/h; reel speeds of 0.94, 1.06, 1.30m/s (17, 20 and 24rpm) and crop moisture content of 18, 15 and 12% while, area of plates of seed collection was kept constant at 4.5m² during experiments on productivity of the machine, losses rate of combine header, percentage of seed damage due to threshing process, proportion of total losses of combine, power required, cost analysis and criterion function cost. Surveys before modification at experiment limit indicated that, the rate of header losses were ranged from 4.6 to 11.9%. However, the rate of total losses were ranged from 6.3 to 16.5%. While, results after modification indicated that, the machine productivity was 1.735ton/fed. Also, the minimum header losses, rate of threshing damage and total losses were 1.6, 1.3 and 3.1%, respectively. On the other hand, the minimum values of power consumed and energy required were 67.4kW and 31.45kW.h/fed, respectively. In addition to, the minimum operating cost required was 96.8LE/fed while, the minimum criterion function cost was 375.7LE/fed.
Field experiments were carried out to evaluate a new developed reaper(Japanese harvesting reaper model KUBOUTA -AR 120) on pulling flax crop. The effect of four pulling rollers speeds of 0.39 , 0.52 , 0.65 ,and 0.78 m/s , three machine forward speeds of 1.2 , 1.5 , and 1.8 km/h ,and three stalk moisture contents of 17.30 , 14.81, and 11.56 % . On actual field capacity, field efficiency, yield output, stalk damage and total stalk losses were undertaken. And also, an estimation of energy requirements and operating cost were determined. Results indicated that, the maximum value of actual field capacity, field efficiency and stalk yield output were 0.53 fed./h, 93% and 2.656 ton/h , respectively at pulling speed of 0.78 m/s , machine forward speed of 1.8 km/h and stalk moisture content of 11.56 %. However the lowest value of energy requirement of 1.97 kW.h/ton was recorded under the same mentioned above conditions. Meanwhile, the minimum values of stalk damage and stalk losses were 1.41% and 0.62 % , respectively at machine forward speed of 1.2 km/h , pulling speed of 0.78 m/s and stalk moisture content of 17.30 % .
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