INCREASING THE ESTIMATION EFFICIENCY OF THE FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GRAIN HARVESTERS

Abstract

When assessing the functional characteristics of combine harvesters, one of the most important indicators to be determined is grain loss occurring in the threshing-and-separating unit. In compliance with GOST 28301-2015 "Combine harvesters. Test methods", it should not exceed 1.5%. The existing methods of its determination and estimation are laborious and require specialized frames of samplers manually placed in the grain in front of the combine or the use of strip samplers. Moreover, technologies for grain harvesting with chopping and spreading straw require the use of an automated system for placing sample frames. The authors present an automatic device for placing sampling frames under the threshing-and-separating unit of a grain harvester during its operation. The proposed design five sampling frames with a size of 1500x650 mm both in manual and automatic modes with a predetermined interval. The device provides for better labor safety of testers, reduces the complexity of testing by 10...15°%, and improves the accuracy of the agrotechnical and operational-technological assessment of grain harvesters.