WAYS TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF A POTATO HARVESTING MACHINE

Abstract

This article addresses the problem of improving the efficiency of
mechanized potato harvesting. It examines the scientific and theoretical
foundations of enhancing the lifting–separating working unit of a potato
harvester. The subject and object of the research consist in developing and
scientifically substantiating the technological and structural parameters of a
centrifugal lifting–spiked elevator. The relevance of the study lies in the fact that in
conventional harvesters the soil separation process has low efficiency, which leads
to contamination and mechanical damage of the tubers. The research employed
mathematical modeling, analytical analysis, and statistical methods, through which
the optimal parameters of the working unit were determined. The results showed
that at a peripheral speed of 2.5–3.0 m/s and a curved section radius of 0.3–0.6
m, the completeness of soil separation reaches 99.4%, while tuber damage does
not exceed 3.4%. The findings were verified in a prototype of an improved potato
digger-loader KP-2, tested under practical conditions. The developed design is
distinguished by its lightness and compactness. In conclusion, it is noted that the
proposed technology reduces labor costs by a factor of 3 and total expenditures
by a factor of 4.5, which indicates its high economic efficiency and substantiates
the potential for widespread application in regions with similar soil and climatic
conditions.