Shymko A. Justification of the parameters of the digging and separating working body for the root potato harvester

The thesis is devoted to solving the problem of increasing the efficiency of the process of harvesting potatoes by improving the design and substantiating the rational parameters of the digging and separating working body of the root potato harvester, taking into account the generalized research results. The aim of the first chapter is to conduct an analysis of the existing methods of harvesting potatoes, soil models, existing structures of the digging working bodies, as well as to substantiate the direction of their improving. The second chapter focuses on the analysis of the process of interaction between the digging and separating working body with the soil, justification of the rational parameters of the digging and separating working body, which allow providing the minimum traction resistance and quality separation of the soil through the separating surface of the digging and separating working body. The third chapter presents the program for the experimental research, the list of equipment, devices, the developed research facilities and research methodology. The fourth chapter demonstrates the results of studying the influence of the potato mass and the percentage of its soiling on the coefficients of rolling, static and kinetic friction. The impact of the parameters of the working body and the travelling speed on the traction resistance index is determined. The influence of soil humidity and travelling speed on the separation capacity of the digging and separating working body is estimated. The fifth chapter suggests the results of the field studies, during which it is found that the use of the proposed working body ensured the reduction in the number of the undug potatoes by 2.0% at the speed of 2.5 km/h and by 1.6% at the speed of 1.8 m/h; potato damage decreased from 1.6 to 1.4% (Agromet Z609 / 2) and from 1.7% to 1.4% (KTN-2B at the operating speed of 2.5 km/h) and from 1.0% to 1.28% (KTN-2B at the operating speed of 1.8 km/h). The process productivity increased on average by 6%. The annual economic effect amounted to UAH 93561 according to the prices of 2019. The technical solution was defended with 5 patents for utility models in Ukraine.