Study of the Mixing Process With a Paddle Mixer for Cattle
Authors:   Central Ukrainian National Technical University, Kisilyov Ruslan , Luzan Petro ,   Central Ukrainian National Technical University, Bohatyrov Dmytro ,   Central Ukrainian National Technical University, Nesterenko Olexsander ,   Central Ukrainian National Technical University
Published: April 2023

Dairy and meat cattle breeding of Ukraine is one of leading and most essential industries of stock-raising, that provides a production of more than 95% of cow milk and 50...60% of beef. In the world market demand is on high-quality milk, beef and products of their processing constantly grows and that is why has an important economic value for development of industry of cattle breeding in agricultural production of our country. In general process of production goods of cattle breeding a decisive role belongs to forage. They have subzero quality, in most cases, insufficient quantities are produced, and their share in cost price of milk and beef is more than half of costs. In connection with transfer of animal husbandry to market farming conditions, a long-term national program has been developed, which provides for increasing the volume of milk and beef production, reducing cost of production, improving its quality, comprehensive intensification of cattle breeding by creating a strong fodder base, increasing its efficiency and productivity of grain and fodder cultures, application of new progressive feeding technologies, preparation of fodder for feeding, preparation of highly nutritious fodder mixtures and implementation of complex mechanization and automation of production processes on farms and complexes. Realization of technical and plant-breeding progress of high-performance production of milk and beef in industry requires near-term providing of animals in a sufficient amount high-quality biologically valuable forage that can be balanced in rations of cattle by organic, mineral and biologically-active nutritives and microelements and microaddings in accordance with pre-arranged productivity with maintenance of necessary for this purpose vital functions and physiology state of animal. Generalized analysis of traditional machines and technical equipments for preparation of forage mixtures for a cattle showed that existent mixers not to a full degree provided quality indexes in relation to preparation of moist forage mixtures and have a certain list of some defects. Namely, the constructions of mobile mixers exceed norms in terms of specific metal density by1,5...2 times, while the energy consumption for the drive of working bodies is 3...4 times. Such significant disadvantages of traditional mixers limit their use on cattle farms. In the article, a systematic approach of systems is considered in relation to technological process of mixing of different components of mixture, that is presented as determined model of functioning of mixer of forage of batch-type at all stages of its operation: from loading components to receiving and unloading the finished feed mixture. On the basis of the conducted research, the technological scheme of the paddle mixer, which consists of a body with a loading neck and an unloading auger, is substantiated. Flat blades with a corresponding step are hardly installed on supports along a mixer, which are equipped by radial fingers for loosening of monolith of mixture in the corps of mixer. Blades are installed with right and angle of inclination their working surface to axis of shaft. Purpose of experimental researches was envisage study of conformities to law of influence of geometrical and kinematics parameters on quality of preparation of forage mixtures. Such important factors were: frequency of rotation of billow of mixer; width of flat blade; an angle of its inclination to axis of the shaft and duration of forage mixing. After realization of experimental researches at processing of received data we applied a mathematical application that allowed to build dependences and get rational values package. They are as follows: the rational width value of blade is 45 mm, angle of its inclination is 500, the frequency of rotation of agitator shaft should not exceed 90 rpm. with duration of process 6...8 min. According to these parameters, proposed design of mixer ensures homogeneity of mixture at level of 92%, while basic homogeneity index for cattle is 86%.