09. Belov M.I. The Method of Calculating Cut Length for Flail and Double Chop Forage Harvesters

UDK 631.3

DOI: 10.15507/2658-4123.029.201902.279-294

The Method of Calculating Cut Length for Flail and Double Chop Forage Harvesters

Mikhail I. Belov
Professor, Chair of Strength of Materials and Machine Parts, Institute of Mechanics and Energetics, Russian Timiryazev State Agrarian University (49 Timiryazevskaya St., Moscow 127550, Russia), D.Sc. (Engineering), ResearcherID: T-5622-2018, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9907-8825, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Introduction. Many studies show that the chopped feed quality depends on the plants chopping quality. The quality of plant chopping, provided by a forage harvester, is defined by particle length distribution. It is important to find the theoretical basis of grass chopping regimes for making haylage and other kinds of feeds. The purpose of this study is to develop an algorithm and techniques to assess the quality of plant chopping based on mathematical models of chopping with the flail and double chop forage harvesters.
Materials and Methods. Mathematical models of a flail type unit and double chop unit were presented and used to develop the algorithms and method of calculating the cut length distribution.
Results. The algorithms and computation methods of cut length distribution were presented for a flail type unit and a double chop unit. The effect of the plant height, the height of cut, feed and the average length of cut on the mass fraction of particles within the specified ranges of lengths were investigated.
Discussion and Conclusion. A flail forage harvester is not able to harvest the grass crops for making haylage with 45–75 % forage particles, the length of which is in the range from 8 mm to 19 mm. A double chop forage harvester allows harvesting the grass crops for making haylage only when auger angular velocity and/or flywheel or cylinder drum angular velocity is regulated. A double chop device can be used to chop plants for preparation of various forages if auger angular velocity and/or flywheel or cylinder drum’s angular velocity is regulated.

Keywords: forage harvester, chopper unit, particle length distribution, grinding quality, cut length, particle length, flail harvester, double chop harvester

For citation: Belov M.I. The Method of Calculating Cut Length for Flail and Double Chop Forage Harvesters. Inzhenernyye tekhnologii i sistemy = Engineering Technologies and Systems. 2019; 29(2):279-294. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15507/2658-4123.029.201902.279-294

The author has read and approved the final version of the paper.

Received 08.12.2018; revised 11.02.2019; published online 28.06.2019

REFERENCES

1. Bal M.A., Shaver R.D., Jirovec A.G., Shinners K.J., Coors J.G. Crop processing and chop length of corn silage: Effects on intake, digestion, and milk production by dairy cows. Journal of Diary Science. 2000; 83(6):1264-1273.

2. Bhandary S.K., Ominsky K.M, Wittenberg K.M., Plaizier J.C. Effects of the chop lengths of alfalfa silage and oat silage on feed intake, milk production, feeding behavior, and rumen fermentation of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science. 2008; 91(5):1942-1958.

3. Tayyab U., Wilkinson R., Reynolds C., Sinclair L. Effect of grass silage chop length when fed alone, or with corn silage, on digestion and metabolism in dairy cows. Journal of Animal Science. 2018; 96(3):394.

4. Addah W., Baah J., McAllister T.A. Effect of silage chop length on feed intake and feeding behaviour of finishing feedlot steers. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A ‒ Animal Science. 2016; 66(2):106-114.

5. Saqib G.S., Finner M.F. Simulated ideal length of cut for forage harvesters. Transactions of the ASAE. 1982; 25(5):1237-1238.

6. Morgan D.D.V., Osman M.M. A mathematical model of an apparatus for the assessment of the length distribution of chopped forage. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research. 1984; 30:157-164.

7. O’Dogherty M.J. Chop length distributions from forage harvesters and a simulation model of chopping. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research. 1984; 30:165-173.

8. Szendro P. Examination of chopping process in selfpropelled forage harvesters. Acta Agronomy Academy Scientific Hungary. 1979; 28(1-2):106-119.

9. Yukueda M., Kawamura N. Studies of a direct-throw flail-type forage harvester (I). Journal of the Japanese Society of Agricultural Machinery. 1976; 37(4):600-605.

10. Howe S.D., Bishop T. Forage harvesters: Designs for the ʼ80s. Power Farming. 1982; 64(4):36-45.

11. Belov M.I., Chepurnoy A.I. [Perspective chopper units of forage harvesters]. Traktory i selkhozmashiny = Tractors and Agricultural Machinery. 1985; 5:39-41. (In Russ.)

12. Belov M. I., Chepurnoy A. I. [Analysis of forage harvester schemes]. Traktory i selkhozmashiny = Tractors and Agricultural Machinery. 1986; 6:26-28. (In Russ.)

13. Yerokhin M. N., Belov M. I., Sudnik Yu. A. [Model and experimental study of rotary mower]. Traktory i selkhozmashiny = Tractors and Agricultural Machinery. 2003; 12:21-24. (In Russ.)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.