RESEARCH OF A PROTOTYPE COMBINED SOIL TILLAGE UNIT FOR SURFACE AND PRE-SOWING SOIL TREATMENT

Abstract

Universal combination implements capable of performing both shallow and pre-sowing soil tillage are widely used in global practice. They are equipped with a range of attachments characterized by resilient shanks for the working elements, paired with sweep shares. Studies of spring-loaded working elements or those mounted on flexible supports indicate that, under specific soil conditions and at given operating speeds and tillage depths, it is possible to reduce specific draft resistance, improve the machine’s performance quality, and ensure the working elements self-clean of adhering soil and accumulated weeds. A design for a combined implement for surface and pre-sowing soil tillage is proposed; X-shaped «Hankmo»-type working elements were employed as the first group of working parts, while a reinforced S-shaped spring-loaded tine with a 220 mm wide sweep share was selected as the resilient working element. The object of the study is the process of interaction of a combined tillage unit for surface and pre-sowing cultivation with the soil environment in order to determine its qualitative and energy performance indicators in the conditions of the south of Ukraine depending on the operating modes. Based on the conducted experimental studies, the basic indicators of the tool’s operation were determined – the quality of soil loosening, the specific traction resistance of the model sample of the combined unit, the ridgeness of the field surface after cultivation, depending on the speed of movement of the tool and the depth of soil cultivation. The obtained regression equations allow you to select the operating modes of the unit depending on the technological tasks. A graphical interpretation of the experimental results indicates that the rational operating modes obtained for the prototype combined implement (V = 2.1–2.2 m/s and h = 10–12 cm) correspond to the optimal operating modes for which its working elements were designed. In particular, this is confirmed by the optimization parameter «draft resistance of the combined implement» within the speed range of 2–2.1 m/s. The practical significance of the research results is that they can be used to refine the model sample of the tool before launching it into mass production.