Separation of free grain using the accelerator drum of the KZS-1218 grain harvester

Grain harvesting using the standing stripping method increases combine productivity by a factor of 1.4-1.6 while reducing fuel consumption by 30%. The efficiency of stripping-based grain harvesting can be further enhanced by adapting the combine harvester to operate with stripped grain heap. In particular, it is advisable to pre-separate free grain and direct it to the combine’s cleaning unit, bypassing the threshing unit altogether. This study aims to experimentally verify the hypothesis that the accelerator drum of the KZS-1218 combine can function as a separator. A stationary experimental unit was developed based on the accelerator drum. The experiment consisted of determining the proportion of free grain passing through the concave as a function of drum rotation speed (355, 527, and 700 rpm). A stripped heap of Moskovskaya 56 winter wheat with a moisture content of 12%, comprising 80% free grain, 10% straw particles, and 10% chaff, was used as the test material. Each experiment was replicated three times. The results showed that as the accelerator drum speed decreased, the proportion of grain passing through the concave openings increased from 88% to 97%. Thus, the hypothesis was experimentally confirmed. The findings indicate scope for further refinement of the design parameters.

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