Scientific Journal of KubSAU

While mechanical harvesting of potatoes, about 20-40% of the tubers get damages. Dynamic loads, injuries of the tubers, causing internal damage – which is browning of the flesh of the tuber, which occurs in the process of its storage. At the same time, ways to express control of damage to potato tubers will allow both reducing damage during harvest, and promptly sending damaged potatoes for recycling before the results of mechanical stress for the tubers during harvesting. The definition of internal damage to the potatoes is possible because of the analysis of the different elasticity of the tissues of damaged and undamaged tubers. The value of overpressure of the device is chosen such way that during deformation of tubers there mainly has been compression of the damaged tissues of the tuber, with the least turgor. The degree of damage of samples of tubers is determined by the ratio of the volume of damaged tissues of tubers to the total volume of the sample. We have given the mechanical properties of tissues of tubers, fruits and root vegetables, their structure, dimensional characteristics, it can be assumed that the use of this method of determining internal damage possible for apples, carrots, beets and harvest of other crops. Use of damage control will enable timely identification of hidden damage and make it possible to eliminate their causes, which lead to increase loss products

The research results presented in this article are intended to familiarize themselves with promising avenue to improve the quality of potato harvesters by improving the process of separation, as well as working bodies for its implementation

The article gives the description and grounding of the rational design factors of the possing machine with the purpose to avoid bulbs damages and provide the maximum capacity of the improved separating hump