Reducing unproductive shift time when harvesting panicle crops with a sorghum harvester

The article examines the design features of sorghum harvesters developed at the Volgograd State Agrarian University: mounted single-row, trailed double-row and mounted single-row, equipped with replaceable grain bins. Based on continuous timing of the operation of a mounted single-row sorghum harvester and mathematical modeling of the use of other studied combines for harvesting grain sorghum, the distribution of time costs by shift time elements is given. The coefficients of utilization of shift time and shift productivity of combines have been determined. Ways to increase the productivity of sorghum harvesters have been proposed.

Introduction. Increasing the efficiency of using agricultural machinery is inextricably linked with the introduction into production of new types of machines that perform technological operations with high productivity and quality of work. In this regard, researchers of agricultural machines have a goal aimed at solving problems of developing methods and ways to increase machine productivity, reduce crop losses, labor costs, fuel and lubricant consumption, including through improvements in machine designs using statistical information on the results of their operation in real conditions, the use of scientific methods and methods developed by scientists. The results of studies of the developed models of sorghum harvesters for harvesting panicle crops show significant losses of shift time for unloading grain from bins into a vehicle and waiting for this transport, which leads to a decrease in the shift productivity of combines, an extension of harvesting time and an increase in grain losses. In addition, trailed sorghum harvesters lose significant time turning at the end of the headland. Reducing unproductive time is the main way to increase the productivity of a sorghum harvester.

The purpose of the work is to reduce unproductive shift time when harvesting grain sorghum through the use of an experimental sorghum harvester equipped with replaceable grain bins.

Materials and methods. When harvesting grain sorghum of the Premiere variety during the harvesting seasons of 2020 and 2022, continuous timing of the operation of a mounted sorghum harvester was carried out, the energy source of which was the T-16M self-propelled chassis. Based on the obtained statistical information on the operation of a mounted sorghum harvester, mathematical modeling was carried out to evaluate the performance indicators of using a trailed double-row sorghum harvester based on MTZ-82.1 and a mounted sorghum harvester equipped with replaceable grain bins.

Results and discussion. The schemes of a mounted single-row sorghum harvester, as well as a trailed double-row and mounted one, equipped with replaceable grain bins, are considered. The time spent on elements of shift time when threshing standing grain sorghum with the studied sorghum harvesters was determined. Analysis of the research results showed that the maximum share of the main time in the shift (71.57%) corresponds to harvesting grain sorghum with an experimental sorghum harvester equipped with replaceable grain bins, and the minimum (44.0%) – when using a trailed double-row sorghum harvester; the most significant time spent on unloading grain from the bunker of a trailed double-row sorghum harvester, which is explained by the use of an insufficient grain bin on this combine; Unproductive shift time can be reduced by using a sorghum harvester equipped with replaceable grain bins.

Conclusions. Based on the results of continuous timing of the operation of a mounted sorghum harvester based on the self-propelled T-16M chassis for harvesting grain sorghum and mathematical modeling of the assessment of indicators for the use of trailed two-row and mounted sorghum harvesters equipped with replaceable grain bins, the distribution of shift time by component elements was obtained. Significant unproductive shift time (more than 30%) occurs when unloading grain from the bunker of a trailed double-row weed harvester. It has been established that shift time is used most effectively when harvesting grain sorghum using an experimental mounted sorghum harvester equipped with replaceable grain bins. The productivity of a sorghum harvester can be significantly increased by increasing the number of simultaneously threshed rows of grain sorghum using more powerful energy resources and equipment with replaceable bins.

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