THE INFLUENCE OF TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS ON THE ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF WORK OF THE CUT MASS ACCELERATOR
Authors: Volodymyr Kuzmenko Volodymyr Kuzmenko , Maksimenko Viktor , Oleksandr Kholodiuk Oleksandr Kholodiuk 
Published: January 2023

Forage harvesters in modern design are powerful machines that ensure the harvesting of fodder according to agrotechnical requirements. The unloading channel in forage harvesters is made in such a way that the cut mass enters the vehicle for further transportation in the shortest time possible.
The accelerator in the unloading channel of the combine provides convenience in operation, allowing to load of cut mass into the vehicle at a distance of more than 10 m not only to the vehicles moving next to the combine but also behind it when mowing the swaths. The main function of the cut mass accelerator is to provide acceleration and formation of compactness of the flow of the cut mass after it passes through the grinding rollers.
Currently, the influence of the structural and technological parameters of the cut mass accelerator on the process of its unloading through the channel of the forage harvester has not been sufficiently investigated, therefore, for example, the substantiation of the technological parameters of the operation mode of the cut mass accelerator of the discharge channel of the forage harvester is relevant.
The object of the research is the process of transporting the cut stem mass by the combine accelerator through the unloading channel.
The purpose of the research is to experimentally establish the influence of technological factors in the process of transporting the cut mass of the harvester with an accelerator on the consumption of specific energy and the creation of effort on the shield catcher.
The objectives of the work are to study the state of the issue of the accelerators use of cut stem mass in the unloading channel of forage harvesters and their structural implementation; to carry out an analysis of research and publications on the acceleration of cut stem mass; to develop a method of experimental research and establish the influence of technological factors of the process of transportation of the cut stalk mass of the harvester with an accelerator on the consumption of specific energy and the creation of effort on the shield catcher.
The research methodology is experimental by determining the consumption of the specific energy of the accelerator, the effort created on the catcher shield, and the supply of the cut stem mass. Processing of experimental data is performed using methods of regression analysis and mathematical statistics.
As a result of the conducted experimental studies, it is established that the most significant of the studied technological factors (W, Lср, q) is the supply of cut stem mass. An increase in the supply of crushed stalk mass of corn from 6 to 13 kg/s leads to both an increase in effort from 15 to 140 N (almost ten times) and an increase in specific energy consumption from 0.12 to 0.18 kJ/kg. An increase in the moisture content of the stem mass of corn from 54 to 76% leads to a decrease in the effort on the catcher shield and the specific energy consumption. The minimum values of the specific energy consumption of the accelerator in the range of 0.103-0.105 kJ/kg are reached with a weighted average stem mass of 14-18 mm. The influence of technological factors on the process of transporting the cut stem mass by the accelerator of the harvester through the discharge channel is parabolic in nature.
The use of the cut stem mass accelerator leads to an increase in the effort on the catcher shield, which is an order of magnitude higher than without it, and a significant increase is observed at a supply over 6.5 kg/s.