Scientific Journal of KubSAU

High-strength steels are used to increase the reliability of potato harvesters. With the advent of new materials and new technologies in agricultural engineering, it is possible to significantly reduce the mass of working bodies, to reduce energy costs. The elastic system of the composite elevator bar, unbalanced by the impact of the component of the potato heap, is in oscillatory motion. An increase in the height of the fall, and hence the speed of collision with the bar of the component of the potato heap, determines the amount of deflection of the composite bar. During vibrations, in addition to static deformations, dynamic ones are added, depending on the magnitude of the impact force. It was established that a bar made of composite material should have the following parameters: elastic modulus E = 55000 MPa; the diameter of the composite bar d = 0,012 m

In the study of the processes of growing, harvesting, post-harvesting processing and delivery of fruit and vegetables it seems to be rational to have generalized control of the "product – environment – packaging – transport - storage" in general, as well as providing the possibility of creating optimal conditions for fruit and vegetable products depending on its condition. The basis of ensuring product integrity at all stages of production is a system approach with application of modern information technologies. Optimization of logistic processes in the agro-industrial complex (AIC), in addition to cost, market influences many important indicators of the final product of this complex: quality, timing and reliability of supply, the size of the delivered batches, etc. The quality of fruits and vegetables begins to change dramatically immediately after harvesting. Being in a stressful and unfavorable conditions, fruit, vegetables, root crops intensively lose moisture and consume nutrients, secrete aromatic substances, carry out the breathing process. These losses are caused by biological factors fit fruit and vegetable products to the changed conditions. Thus, the main indicators of the quality of products to control rationally in the process of harvesting and subsequent production phases take into account the data obtained to optimize process parameters to reduce losses and damage products. The article discusses the prospects of applying the system-information approach to the formation of quality of fruits and vegetables during transportation and storage. The proposed embodiment of a generalized control of the "product – environment – packaging – transport - storage", aimed at ensuring the possibility of creating optimal conditions for easy-to-sell agricultural products (fruits, vegetables, root crops) depending on its condition. We have established that rational technology of production and sales of products must have the ability to control and operational adjustments depending on the level of quality input products from the stage of harvest

Condition monitoring is a necessary element of the transport and special machinery in agriculture. The task of the control operations other than the determination of the technical state of the object is to determine the required amount of work, as well as rational amount of collateral the repair of which could be combined with the next maintenance. Based on the results of processing of the information, we may generate requests for service. In the conditions of uncertainty of receipt of requests for servicing of individual machines, estimated volumes and timing, we have am appropriate development of applied technique of justification of the number of diagnostic posts for interactive control of a technical condition of vehicles and special machinery in agriculture. The presented methodology is based on probabilistic methods, and allows the quick optimization of the number of existing posts interactive diagnostics in the enterprise, if necessary, translating the existing posts in "standby" mode, or Vice versa, returning from a reserve in "work" mode. The production and technical base of the enterprise service based on the specific assumptions are considered as a system of mass service (SMO), and the function of such a SMO – as the process of mass service. The process of queuing as applied to interactive diagnosis are "Markov" processes "death and reproduction" with a finite or countable number of States and continuous time. To describe the states of the system we use the system of the Kolmogorov equations for steady state of "Markov" process. On their basis, we have determined average queue length, time of stay orders in the queue, number of busy channels and the bandwidth of the CFR. Using the intensity of the requests and the service time of a single application for specific equipment, the article establishes the efficiency of online diagnosis posts. The result of the proposed applied methodology enables timely decision-making about the need for reconstruction or technical re-equipment of the company

In the current economic situation, the developing of cattle breeding is taking on special significance. It is well known that the effective way to develop cattle breeding is to increase the total number of efficient livestock. The numerous researches show that the high concentrated fodder premix diet gives the highest effect in increasing animal indicators [1, 2, 3]. Traditionally, the premix is a powder mass, which should be added into the mixture of grain components. Exact following the recipe of prepared fodder allows the maximum usage of forage potential of the concentrate components [4, 5, 6, 7]. In view of the foregoing, food enrichers have special actuality in making high concentrated fodder [8, 9, 10]. The usage of differential Fokker – Planck equation systems allows determining the laws of the mixing process of various granulated products. As a result, it becomes possible to optimize the technological process of the mixerenrichers of concentrated feed so that the resulting mixture of feed would have high quality and technological characteristics. At the same time the duration of sewer-enricher’s work and, as a consequence, the energy intensity of the technological process would accept the minimum possible values [11-16]. The given theoretical approach is based on the consideration of the motion of an individual particle contained in a loose grain mass (phase). Concerning this, it is necessary to accept a number of assumptions about making effort to the feed particles, and the velocity vectors of its initial motion should be taken into account. Taking into account the complexity of the mathematically derived differential equation, its literal analytical solution seems very difficult. Therefore, the first step of the solution is aimed at the obtaining the non-stationary diffusion equation of Fokker - Planck and the boundary conditions for isolating the only one solution. The second step of the solution is implemented by the tabulation at the grid-based points, that is, considering the differential equation not at a random point of the area, but only at the grid nodes. Moreover, it is necessary to apply the approximation of the derivatives at each node. The solution of the equation system allows determining the module of the minimum, average, and maximum values of the phase particle motion in different parts of the mixing chamber, respectively. In connection with this, the aim of the study is to substantiate the processes of motion of various types of granulated products

Due to the deterioration of the ecological situation in the world, population tends to eat organically grown foods that are grown either without or with minimal use of chemicals. The development of agriculture in this direction leads ultimately to organic agriculture. To improve the competitiveness of this direction, we need more effective agricultural machines, especially in the last phase of cultivation, namely at the stage of harvesting. One of the most difficult scientific and technical problems with the mechanical harvesting of potatoes is not letting vegetable impurities and tops to fall down in the hopper with the potato tubers, which among other things will improve operational efficiency technology. The article reviewed the various methods for removing the tops, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. The article makes a conclusion about the need for potato top separators in harvesting machines. We have also considered a promising device for removing haulm, a conveyor with flexible fingers on the bars and the clamping beater. Тhe most short-lived structural element of the device for removing haulm, reducing reliability of the device, is flexible fingers mounted on rods. We have proposed to use polyurethane as a material for manufacturing flexible fingers

The role of transport in agricultural production is significant. It is the connecting link in the technological chain of the agro-industrial complex (of the APC). On-farm transport in the APC together with cars and tractor transport are widely used. The rationality of the use of wheeled tractors for farm transport substantiates the possibility of their movement on asphalt and on dirt roads. The specific gravity of the tractor transport in the domestic agriculture is 22-27% of the total volume of transport and 50-60% of the volume of farm traffic. A high level of use of tractor transport has been observed in the countries of Western Europe and the USA. In the farms of leading countries of Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, etc.) about 70- 90% on-farm transport of agricultural goods is done by tractor transport. Tractor transport in a live environment is running on roads with varying terrain, a wavy profile cover, on soils with different hardness and humidity. When driving vehicles at high speeds, the trailer is wobbling from side to side, constantly accompanying tractor transport during its operation. As a result, it is bad for propulsion, transmission, and it deteriorates the dynamic performance properties of equipment, working conditions of the operator. To reduce the amplitude of oscillations of the trailer, the operator is forced to work strenuously with the steering wheel or to slow down the speed, which in turn affects operator fatigue, as well as the performance and maneuverability of the vehicle. Thus, advanced technologies in electronics, sensor technology and software will determine the nature of agro-technical innovations and will lead to increased automation of business processes in crop production with the aim to organize the work more effectively, efficiently, accurately, environmentally friendly and economically feasible. When working with intelligent technologies, understanding the development of high-tech, precision engineering requires a revision to the personnel policy and education in agriculture, which should be based on the relevant organization of farms and their proper new type engineering solutions

In recent years, in many countries around the world, much attention is paid to the issues of ensuring of rational use of energy resources, due to a number of objective factors, chief among which are: the lack of own energy resources to meet domestic energy needs; the sharp increase in the cost of production and the production of energy resources; further growth in energy needs; the presence of large potential opportunities to reduce unproductive losses of fuel and energy. In the world, the challenge now is to ensure a gradual but steady transfer of the economy on energy saving way of development. To achieve the goal of reducing energy costs we might use two ways: firstly, the widespread introduction of energy saving technologies, and secondly, the reduction of material production, improving its quality and service. In agriculture, the improvement of the technological process can be carried out using new tillage methods, improving the organization of production and tools. Further development of mechanization in agriculture will contribute to further growth of electrification in the agricultural sector, which will significantly reduce the use of the most expensive and limited energy resources. The article offers a technique of the estimation of the efficiency of consumption of energy in agricultural production. In order to compare the efficiency of machines in the cultivation and harvesting of potatoes, there was conducted an energy assessment of the operations of modern technology. As variables, there were investigated different operation modes of the machine: working speed and working width, depth of stroke of the working bodies. In the process of evaluating energy operations, modern technology to prepare the soil for planting potatoes was determined humidity, mechanical composition and soil type. As a main factor in the analysis of technological methods, we have taken the overall specific energy consumption and specific energy consumption for the digging below tuber formation. Analysis of theoretical researches of agricultural machinery has led to the conclusion that the energy cost of implementing the technological process in the machines of different designs varies

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

Fruit harvesting is the final and decisive operation in the general work plan for growing fruit, which largely determines the qualitative and quantitative indicators of production and economy of industry in general. Increasing productivity by improving the safety of fruits and vegetables is a priority and not an easy task. For example, the use of cleaning technologies with the use of machinery for harvesting of apples by shaking can significantly reduce the time of gathering fruit compared to hand harvesting. This technology may be applicable, if the fruit is grown for the manufacture of juices, jams, etc. Currently, in several European countries and in the USA, they widely use fruit harvesting platforms and machines. The leader in the production of fruit harvesting platforms is Italy. To reduce the damage to fruit in agriculture, the analysis of the traumatic factors is of great importance, with the analysis of available machines and their subsequent modernization with the aim of improving the reliability and quality of harvesting and transport process, taking into account of the algorithm for solving these problems, the creation of new varieties of fruits and vegetables suitable for machine processing, strict compliance with deadlines and agronomic requirements for the performed technological operations, taking into account the savings of energy and resources when using mobile technology. In addition to the modernization of the machines for efficient operation, it is necessary to improve also the scheme of planting of gardens and methods of cultivation, transfer horticulture to intensive way of development

In agriculture the issue of enhancing the efficiency of operation of internal combustion engines (ICE), reducing the costs of maintenance (TO) and repairing (TP) fuel supply apparatus (TA) using the improvement of methods and means of diagnosis is a topical in connection with the aging rolling stock farming and lack of investment. Analysis of the known TA diesel engine vehicles systems showed that the most widespread system is the divided type with multiplunger high pressure fuel pump (fuel pump), while the methods of its diagnosing are laborious, they require partial disassembly and have insufficient accuracy. The mathematical models that characterize the work of a high-pressure fuel pump (fuel pump) use a large number of parameters that significantly affect the quality of dynamics of the change of pressure values of diesel fuel. However, in the materials of previously published articles there were no issues considered assessing the extent of the quantitative impact, performance and features change in the sensitivity settings of the mathematical models on the simulation results, there are no recommendations on the degree of sensitivity and importance of each of the parameters. For a more accurate diagnosis of the fuel supply apparatus of a diesel engine it is advisable to use several methods of diagnosing. The article substantiates development of a mathematical model of a high-pressure fuel pump based on the analysis of modern methods of diagnosing of fuel equipment for autotractor diesel engines