Experimental Investigation of Plow-Chopping Unit

Abstract

The article presents research results of a machine-tractor unit that performs two technological operations simultaneously: (i) chopping plant residues (sunflower stubble); (ii) covering the chopped stubble with the soil. The first operation is carried out with a front-mounted plant residues chopper, and the second one is carried out with a rear-mounted plough. The chopper’s working devices are rotated by the tractor’s front power take-off (PTO), which has two operating modes: 540 and 1000 rpm. It was determined that to reduce the dynamic load in the drive of the chopper’s plant residues working devices, to chop these residues qualitatively, and then to cover them with the soil, the tractor’s front PTO should be adjusted to a speed of 1000 rpm. With this mode of the chopper’s working device’s rotation, the difference in its vertical vibrations’ dispersion and the tractor front axle’s oscillations is insignificant. The variance of the plowing depth vibrations (1.44 cm2), changing aperiodically in the frequency range of 0–2.5 Hz, is not accidentally less than the variance of irregularities vibrations of the longitudinal field profile (2.75 cm2). The plough draft resistant oscillations of the plow-chopping unit had the least impaction at the plowing depth oscillations. The proof of this is the small value of the cross correlation function; for such oscillating processes as ‘plough draft resistance—plowing depth’, it was equal to 0.22, which is 3.4 times less than for oscillating processes ‘surface’s longitudinal profile—plowing depth’. The number of chopped particles less than 15 cm in length increased by 1.5 times, and the number of particles longer than 30 cm decreased by 3 times. With the complete incorporation of plant residues into the soil, their non-chopped part did not exceed 1%.

Design of a roll crusher for sunflower stems and substantiation of the rational modes of its operation

“…Paper [9] reports the results of studying a machine-tractor assembly, which simultaneously performs technological operations of grinding and soil wrapping of plant residues (sunflower stubble). The first operation is carried out using a shredder of plant residues installed in front.…”

Study in dependence of operating mode on completeness of haulm removal

“…The existing machines Bargam, Structural, Grimme, BDM either cannot ensure the performance of work in accordance with agrotechnical requirements, or are energy-intensive and expensive. In this regard, it seems promising to develop rotary working bodies of a cable type, which ensure the required quality of removal and crushing of the tops of root and tuber crops and reduce energy consumption for the operation, simplify the drive of the working bodies and the metal consumption of the machine structure as a whole [14][15][16].…”

Development of multistage plowing method that involves subsurface loosening

“…The most promising way of cultivating virgin soil and increasing soil fertility is multistage plowing. One of the performance indicators here is the quality loosening of each of the horizons [1,2]. However, the existing methods of multistage plowing require high energy costs, which hinders their implementation into production [3][4][5].…”