Optimal Design of a Two Row Potato Harvester

Optimal Design of a Two Row Potato Harvester

Growing and harvesting potatoes is a time-consuming and labor-intensive task.two row potato harvester Special agricultural technology helps relieve manual labour and speed up the process, including mechanization of potato harvesting. The most common mechanized harvesting method uses a two-row potato digger that digs up tubers from adjacent rows, which can significantly increase labor productivity and reduce expenses. However, if the design of a potato digger is not optimal, the yield and quality of the harvested potatoes may be compromised.

Potato harvesting is a complex and challenging task that requires many skills to perform.two row potato harvester The main factors that influence the harvesting performance include soil, weather conditions, and machine characteristics. In order to improve the efficiency of the harvesting process, a two row potato harvester is designed and built with the aim of minimizing tuber damage. The digger can also be used to harvest other tuberous crops, such as radishes and onions.

The optimum parameters of the machine are determined by means of a mathematical model.two row potato harvester The model takes into account the impact of the collisions between the disc harrow bars and the tubers, as well as the influence of the inclination angle of the pickup disc on the rate of missed potatoes. The inclination angle should be between 12 and 24 deg to ensure the accurate pickup of potatoes without excessive soil penetration, thereby preventing soil accumulation and clogging. In addition, the model allows for an estimation of the maximum traction resistance that can be tolerated by the tractor and thus minimizes damage to the harvested potatoes.

An optimal set of parameters is determined by means of coupled EDEM-RecurDyn simulations and Box-Behken experimental design. The optimum rotational speed, inclination angle, and machine forward speed were found to be 50 r/min, 16 deg, and 0.6 m/s, respectively. The resulting optimal parameters were validated by field performance tests and met the requirements of the technical standard DB64/T 1795-2021 for mechanized potato picking.

During the mechanized harvesting process, the pickup disc pierces the potatoes and soil layers at a depth of up to 50 mm. After being picked up, the potatoes are distributed on the surface or mingled with the soil. The mingled potatoes are known as visible potatoes, while the ones covered with soil are called hidden potatoes. The pickup disc must be able to collect all of the visible and hidden potatoes, while avoiding the missed potato rate and soil penetration.

To achieve this, the rakes of the potato harvester are equipped with profiled metal grates that limit the damage to the tubers caused by the tyres of the tractor during the transportation process. The tyres are also protected by a rubberised conveyor belt, which further mitigates the damage. The aprons of the potato harvester are also made of welded steel, which increases the durability of the aprons and reduces the wear of the tyres during the mechanized harvesting process. This makes the two-row Garmach potato harvester an ideal machine for mechanizing potato harvesting, especially in areas with sandy and loamy soils that have high water content.

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