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DOI: 10.15507/2658-4123.036.202601.059-080

UDK 631.171

Improving the Efficiency of Combine-Harvesting Potatoes: Dynamic Substantiation of Soil Clod-Breaking Device Parameters

Ivan А. Uspenskiy
Dr.Sci. (Eng.), Professor, Head of the Chair of Technical Operation of Transport, Ryazan State Agrotechnological University Named after P. A. Kostychev (1 Kostychev St., Ryazan 390044, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4343-0444, Scopus ID: 57193743041, Researcher ID: B-7990-2019, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Gulbike G. Ramazanova
Cand.Sci. (Eng.), Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Technological Development of Life Support Systems in Rural Areas, Vernadsky Russian State University оf National Economy (50 Jentuziastov Highway St., Balashikha 143907, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2758-9479, Scopus ID: 56072031000, Researcher ID: CPQ-5874-2022, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mikhail Yu. Kostenko
Dr.Sci. (Eng.), Professor of Metal Technology and Machine Repair Chair, Ryazan State Agrotechnological University Named after P. A. Kostychev (1 Kostychev St., Ryazan 390044, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3733-3717, Researcher ID: G-9926-2019, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ГParviz I. Gadzhiev
Dr.Sci. (Eng.), Professor, Dean of the Information and Technical Service Faculty, Vernadsky Russian State University оf National Economy (50 Jentuziastov Highway St., Balashikha 143907, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6877-6126, Researcher ID: DNC-7890-2022, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract
Introduction. Potatoes are one of the world key food crops. But, harvesting potatoes in regions with heavy, rocky and waterlogged soils is difficult. Using high-performance potato harvesters on such soils is extremely ineffective and leads to significant losses of food and resource. The growing of global population causes the necessity to develop a scientific substantiation for creating soil clod-breaking device, which at the stage of preparing soil for planting will dynamically break up strong soil clods to a state allowing subsequent combine-harvesting to be effective and low-loss.
Aim of the Study. The study is aimed at substantiating theoretically the design and operating parameters of the beater drum of the clod-breaking device of the machine and determining the dependence of the deflection angle and limit angle of the knife on the height of the soil layer on the elevator.
Materials and Methods. The study was conducted using a clod-breaker beater as an example. The knives rotated freely on the beaters axes. When the cleaning elevator moved, the beater with knives broke up soil clods, resulting in the fragmentation of the soil clods in several stages. The methods of theoretical mechanics and analytical dynamics were used to found analytical dependences linking the system parameters. These analytical dependences were modeled and visualized using Mathcad software. The equations and graphs were analyzed using analytical and comparative analysis.
Results. There has been studied the impact of a beater-knife system on the breakdown of soil clods in soil machines to prepare the soil for combine-harvesting of potatoes. There have been determined the geometric parameters of the beater-knife system during interaction with the soil layer located in the elevator. There have been found the dependences of the knife deflection angle on the height of the arable layer in the elevator and when leaving the soil layer. There has been found that the optimal beater knife length is l = 170 mm, and the thickness is δ = 16 mm.
Discussion and Conclusion. The results of analyzing the beater-knife system dynamics during its contact with the soil demonstrate that the working element deflection angle α depends on the thickness of the soil layer being processed on the elevator apron that corresponds to the machine load level. In addition, this value is influenced by such parameters as the elevator rod inclination angle and knife centrifugal force. The obtained data help determine the dynamics of the beater drum, which is necessary for breaking heavy soils during potato planting that make it possible to solve the problem of separating tubers from soil clods during combine-harvesting on heavy, cloddy, and stony soils.

Keywords: clod breaker, beater knife, pre-planting preparation, potato harvesting, tuber damage, beater drum, breaking up soil clods

Funding: The work was carried out within the framework of the state budget matter of the Kuban State Agrarian University (№ 121032300060-2), 2026–2030.

Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

For citation: Uspenskiy I.A., Ramazanova G.G., Kostenko M.Y., Gadzhiev P.I. Improving the Efficiency of Combine-Harvesting Potatoes: Dynamic Substantiation of Soil ClodBreaking Device Parameters. Engineering Technologies and Systems. 2026;36(1):41–58. https://doi.org/10.15507/2658-4123.036.202601.041-058

Authors contribution:
I. A. Uspensky – formulating the study concept/idea, goals, and objectives.
G. G. Ramazanova – annotating (creating metadata), data cleaning, and maintaining the data integrity (including interpretive code, where necessary) for their initial using and reusing.
M. Y. Kostenko – developing the mathematical relationship, critical analyzing of the results obtained.
P. I. Gadzhiev – developing or designing of the study methodology; creating models.

All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Submitted 15.06.2025;
revised 28.10.2025;
accepted 19.11.2025

REFERENCES

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