The Results of Field Tests of an Onion Set Harvesting Machine Equipped with a Shaker Arrangement Asymmetrical Bar Elevator

Introduction. Machines for harvesting roots and onions do not provide qualitative indices of root heap separation that leads to violation of technical requirements during harvesting. New solutions are needed to increase the quality of root separation, increase the quality of separation and reduce damage. Materials and Methods. The article presents the design of the onion set harvesting machine. The machine is equipped with a bar elevator with asymmetrical arrangement of shakers. The technique and results of field research to determine the quality of set onion separation at the experimental rod elevator are described. Results. The results of production research of the onion set harvesting machine showed qualitative performance of the technological process of separating onion heap at optimal values of parameters: center distance between elliptical shaker and supporting roller 0.36-0.4 m at full separation of 97.0-97.2% and onion damage 1.65-1.68%; forward speed of rod elevator with asymmetrical arrangement of elliptical shaker and supporting roller 1.6 m/s at full separation of 98.5% and bulb damage 1.3%. Discussion and Conclusion. The use of a bar elevator with an asymmetrical arrangement of the elliptical shaker and support roller allows, in comparison with the symmetrical arrangement of shakers, an increase in bulb separation by 2.0% and a decrease in onion damage by 1.1%.

Analysis and Experimental Study on Pressure Characteristics of Supporting Roller Group of Pipe Belt Conveyor

Aiming at the problem in measuring the nonuniformly distributed pressure generated by the pipe belt conveyor when conveying raw coals, a hexagonal adjustable pressure measuring device for the idler group is proposed. The dynamic model of the pipe belt conveyor clamping-type roller group is established. In order to simplify the calculation process of mechanical analysis, the modal analysis is carried out to determine the factors which will influence the pressure. The pipe diameter and filling rate are selected as the key control factors by the sensitive analysis of pressure of the pipe belt conveyor clamping type roller group. An adjustable diameter-type supporting roller group experiment device is self-designed, and the dynamic pressure change of the roller group and each roller pressure are tested. The results show that the average error between the simulated and tested values of the pressure of the idler group at different filling rates is 7.3%; the theoretical and simulated values of the pressure of the idler group are in good agreement with the experimental values. The study provides a theoretical basis and experimental reference for the design and application of pipe belt conveyors.

The Results of the Experimental Study of Onions Separation Using a Rod Elevator with Asymmetric Installed Burners

Introduction. Existing machines for harvesting root crops and onions do not have efficient indicators describing separation of root crops that leads to incompliance with agrotechnical requirements to harvesting root crops. New methods should be found to increase quality of root crop separation, including the qualitative indicators, and to cut losses. Materials and Methods.The article describes the design of a laboratory unit for determining qualitative indicators of the seed onion heap separation using a rod elevator with the asymmetric passive elliptical shaker and supporting roller. The authors describe the method and results of laboratory studies to determine qualitative indicators of seed onion heap separation at an experimental rod elevator. Results. The results of the laboratory study of the rod elevator are cited and qualitative indices of seed onion heap separation are defined. The maximum completeness of separation of the seed onion heap is 98 %, when the forward speed of the web of the rod elevator is vel = 1.55–1.68 m/s, the supply of heap of onion-seeding QB = 19.7–27.1 kg/s and the interaxial distance between the passive elliptical shaker and the supporting roller is within the range of S = 0.29–0.42 m. Discussion and Conclusion. The use of a rod elevator with the asymmetric elliptical shakers and supporting roller allows increasing the completeness of separation of seed onions by 20 % and to cut the bulb damage by 11 %, compared to symmetrical arrangement of the shakers.

Static Analysis on the Measurement System of an Electronic Belt Scale

The Principal Purpose of the Present Work is to Investigate the Measurement System of a Direct Loading Electronic Belt Scale with a Single Supporting Roller, Revealing the Relationship between Weight Sensor Output and Vertical as well as Horizontal Force Subjected to Carrier Roller by Means of a Finite Element Software ANSYS. the Results Conclusively Indicate that there is a Good Linear Relationship between the Vertical Force and the Sensor Output while the Output is Independent from the Horizontal One with the Full-Bridge Circuit Applied to Measuring Circuit for Transducer. Variation in Horizontal Force Acting on Carrier Roller is Not a Major Source of Error in the Measurement by a Belt Weigher.

Steel Tube AS/RS Shelf Structure Design and System Layout

In this paper we present a supporting roller producing steel tube AS/RS (Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems) system based on the finite element analyzing of shelf structure and logistics optimizing of system layout. The cantilever beam structure of steel tube AS/RS shelf is different from normal type and the strength of shelf is one key point in design. Based on the data of raw/residual steel tubes, we first set the dimension and type of the shelf and beams, and then the finite element analysis is used in single beam design and whole shelf structure strength analysis. Based on the characteristics of steel tube manufacture and the requirements of processes connection, one U type production line is given. The practical application indicates that the mechanical strength, logistics efficiency and flexibility of the AS/RS system we designed accord the needs of manufacture.