ADJUSTING THE AUTOMATIC FEED WAGON TO THE SELECTED FEEDING RATE

Abstract

To implement the technology of feeding cattle with total mixed rations, use is made of automatic feeding systems. Their distribution function is typically performed by an automatic feed wagon. The experience of operating these devices obtained by the "Lopotov A.N." farm located in the Pskov region has shown that, due to the uneven consumption of feed mixtures by animals along the feeding space, automatic feed wagons are almost not used in automatic operation mode. For this reason the design has been proposed of an automatic feed wagon with the system for estimating an amount of feed surpluses on the feeding table, which provides the distribution of a selected feeding rate. The aim of the study is to develop a methodology that allows the automatic feed wagon to be set to a selected feeding rate. The paper presents the design of the automatic feed wagon, the feeding rate of which is regulated by changing the speed of the longitudinal conveyor by means of a frequency converter. The authors propose a method of determining the maximum speed of the longitudinal conveyor to ensure the maximum feeding rate. In order to simplify the calculations the parameter of "a feeding space, along which the whole feed mixture is uniformly distributed from the automatic feed wagon hopper" has been introduced. The authors have obtained a relationship beween this parameter and the current frequency of the electric drive of the longitudinal conveyor. According to the developed method, the required current frequency should be set in an automatic mode. When a feeding program is made, the operator only is to input the corresponding value of the proposed parameter of "a feeding space..." for a known length of the feeding space, and the control block automatically sets the required current frequency, thereby ensuring the required feeding rate.