The Effect of Motion Time of a Scots Pine Single Seed on Mobile Optoelectronic Grader Efficiency: A Mathematical Patterning

Abstract

Research Highlights: Forest owners will be able to solve the problem of testing and selection of viable forest seeds on location and save financial, time, and material resources. The possibility of integrating non-destructive quality control and separation functions in a single portable apparatus is extremely promising. The speed of the contemporary optoelectronic grader is limited by the speed of the slowest component—the mechanical system. Background and Objectives: The technological process of forest seed establishment and design of optoelectronic graders is based on a priori mathematical modeling of structural characteristics, taking into account these criteria. Known models of industrial photoseparators are expensive and have a high energy and material consumption not applicable in the field. Laboratory seed analyzers are characterized by a long time exposure, and the overall size and level of climatic performance do not allow them to be used in the field. Consequently, for small amounts of seed treatment, it is necessary to orient the seeds one by one and ensure clear and rapid coordinated actions of optoelectronic and mechanical systems. The main goal of this research is to increase the efficiency of grading forest seeds by patterning the speed of the mobile device. We will answer the following questions. What are effective geometric parameters for the seed pipe? What factors affect the speed of a single seed’s movement? Materials and Methods: This study is based on mathematical modeling, taking into account the basic principles of mechanics, using MatLab software. Results: A mechanical model of a single Scots pine seed’s motion in different zones of the seed pipe is designed, taking into account air resistance. The effective height of the seed pipe, taking into account the response time of optoelectronic grader systems, is determined. Conclusions: The time and speed of single seed movement through grader systems depends on the seed pipe’s height and radius of curvature. Other things being equal, through the use of the same optical scheme with a microprocessor to solve various problems, the compactness of the photodetector scheme allows, if necessary, to upgrade the grader to solve research problems and for use in forestry.

Using foresight to improve the efficiency of process equipment design

“…Therefore, taking into account the specifics of research, it is necessary to use foresight, attracting experts from among scientists in the mechanization of forestry and agriculture, as well as develop questionnaires for the most complete and reliable analysis of factors. In the study of the technological process of the optoelectronic device [4], 11 factors were identified (Table 1). Using a table of random numbers, they were arranged randomly in questionnaires.…”

“…The range of practical issues is infinitely wide, in particular, the authors attempted to "analyze hierarchies" to support decision making in microelectronics [2]. The applicability of expert assessments in the modeling of technical systems [3,4] proved its feasibility and effectiveness. When designing a technical system in the process of separation of forest seeds.…”

“…The combination of this, as well as the seeds provenance and of nursery production method [6] will further improve the seedlings quality. The variety of technical means implementing optical technology leads to the need for analytical studies of their operational parameters [4].…”

Performance of Scots Pine Seedlings from Seeds Graded by Colour

“…This applicability of seed grading on colour resulted with design of different devices [33,34] for seed grading on a photonics [35], electronics [36] and mechanics [37] principles.…”

The Choice of a Set of Operations for Forest Landscape Restoration Technology

“…The availability of electronic components, which in turn has made it possible for them to be widely used in research equipment and technical means. This has resulted in an increase in measurement accuracy; the emergence of new qualitative (not quantitative) methods for evaluating objects, including in forestry, for example, non-invasive determination of seed viability [45][46][47][48][49][50]; and the development of fundamentally new equipment in the field of seed sorting by spectrometric properties [51][52][53];…”