Analysis of separation and transportation mechanisms for root potato harvesters

Abstract

Potatoes are one of the most widespread crops in Ukraine; most domestic farms are engaged in its production - from the population to large agricultural firms. Moreover, about 95% of the potatoes produced falls on household farms, which are characterized by the widespread use of manual labor in most of the technological assembly operations and the low mechanization of the harvesting process in general.

Harvesting remains the most resource-intensive process in potato production, be-cause today, as you know, the share of energy and labor costs of harvesting processes is 50-60% and 60-70%, respectively.

Accordingly, the purpose of the study was to carry out a comparative analysis of the separation and transport mechanisms for potato root harvesting machines, designed to speed up the cleaning of the heap from impurities and the loading of potato tubers into the body of vehicles.

The research was carried out by means of technological and structural analysis of technologies and machines for harvesting potatoes. In the process of research, methods of comparison and mathematical modeling of technological processes were used. The information base of the research was the works of Ukrainian and foreign scientists on technologies and machines for harvesting potatoes.

On the basis of the comparative analysis carried out, the separation and transportation mechanisms are designed to clean the heap from impurities and to load potato tubers into the body of vehicles. Card diggers-loaders, depending on the soil and climatic conditions of work, are equipped with various types of separating bodies: bar sieves, wide-slatted haulm-separating conveyor, etc.

The need of Ukrainian potato producers for a cheap and at the same time reliable po-tato harvester is relevant today and in the near future. Taking into account the develop-ment of mechanical engineering, such requirements can be provided by a simple and compact design of a single-row or double-row harvester of domestic production. To in-crease the productivity and quality of combine harvesters, when designing their struc-tures, it is necessary to take into account the future requirements for mechanization and automation of work processes.