Reducing the risks and the equipment ownership costs for the lessor, especially in the post-warranty period, requires developing and implementing a new automated system for equipment maintenance. The article presents an analysis and offers possibilities of using indicator counters and neural network technologies to monitor the technical condition of energy-rich tractors online. The authors give an example of using a neural network calculator to identify malfunctions in the transmission line and increase the controllability and objectivity of assessing the current technical condition of tractors under the lease. Counters-indicators are built-in express diagnostic tools. Their use helps minimize preparatory operations to determine the technical condition, visualize and analyze parameters for monitoring the technical condition of individual components and units, and increase the operational reliability of equipment under the lease. The use of neural network technology in the technical diagnostics of equipment will generalize the experience of diagnosticians and service experts for fault localization and enable specialists with little experience to assess the technical condition and determine the amount of work needed to eliminate malfunctions, thereby reducing the time and cost of repairs.

Getting a high-quality yield depends on a significant number of factors: soil and climatic conditions, the quality of seed or planting material, cultivation technologies, the level of technical equipment, etc. In addition, the efficiency of agricultural production depends primarily on the use of chemicals to treat various biological objects (soil, seeds, and plants). In turn, they contribute to the "pollution" of chemical compounds and their components used in the treatment of soil, soil waters, rivers, and reservoirs, as well as crops grown. To prevent the negative effect of chemicals on biological objects, it is necessary to use alternative treatment methods, which can include a physical influence, carried out by various types of radiation, gaseous media, etc. The authors outline tasks to be solved in the machine design. They include ensuring physical influence on biological material, using basic design principles to solve the problems of forming a system of agricultural machines and technologies to ensure high productivity, environmental safety, and obtaining healthy food by completely or partially replacing chemical influence with the physical one. The paper proposes designs of devices to process the soil, seeds, and plants by physical methods aimed at combating weeds, pests, and diseases, as well as stimulating the germination and intensive development of seed and planting material cultivated both in open and protected ground.

The working equipment used for deep loosening of heavy mechanical soils during the restoration of temporarily unclaimed agricultural lands includes a basic machine unit with attachments influenced by significant oscillatory loads during its operation. The variability of the physical and mechanical properties of the treated soil affects the uneven depth of loosening and the machine operation. This is one of the main technological indicators evaluating the performance features of rippers. The research purpose is to analyze the ripper as a dynamic system and estimate the magnitude of the fluctuations in the loosening depth depending on the surface irregularities of the machine's path along the field. The research was carried out according to generally accepted methods using modeling. The authors considered the functioning model of the reclamation ripper in the form of an "environment - machine - technological process" dynamic system, which converts input disturbances and control actions into output ones. The study results of reclamation ripper dynamic models have shown that average terrain irregularities of 5...10 cm result in the amplitude of cutting edge vibrations of a pneumatic-wheeled ripper equaling 8...15 cm and 6...12 cm for the ripper coupled with a caterpillar tractor. According to agrotechnical requirements, a loosening depth of 0.8 m results in the permissible deviations of 8 cm.

The article examines a laboratory sample of a maneuverable unit for slitting mountain meadows and pastures. Its design is adapted for work in a mountainous agricultural landscape with degraded soils having a slope of cultivated areas up to 15°. The study object is the structural, technological, operational, and agrotechnical parameters of the laboratory sample and the graphic-analytical rationalization of the working process of slitting on the slope. The technical tests of the laboratory model were carried out in Dargavs, RNO-Alania, at an altitude of 1540 meters above sea level with a slope steepness of up to 15°. The authors determined the indicators of test conditions and functional operation in accordance with GOST 33687-2016. The laboratory sample of a slitter (paraplow) mounted on the "Fenshaw-180" mini-tractor was adapted to a mountain zone with a reverse (obtuse) angle of penetration into the soil. The authors offer an optimal scheme for the arrangement of the working tools of the slitter. They determined the technology of its traveling along the slope and the design of the working tools providing the distance between the slits of 1000 ± 5 mm, the slitting depth of 200...220 mm, the slit width of 10...30 mm ± 5 mm. The considered sample of the unit for slitting mountain meadows and pastures will improve the moisture and air supply of the lower soil layers; reduce the degradation processes of slope areas, increase labor productivity, environmental sustainability, and grassland farming efficiency.

The processes of air movement in various types of air ducts are of great practical interest in terms of designing, manufacturing, and installing spraying devices used in agricultural production to create artificial fog with fine sprinkling and treat crops from pests and diseases. The authors analyze the existing methods of liquid spraying and reveal their main advantages and disadvantages. Under special attention is the pneumatic method. The study found that this method is used to spray contaminated liquids and the spray quality insignificantly depends on the liquid flow rate. It was revealed that one of the main factors affecting the quality indicators of spraying devices is the dynamic pressure of the gas medium acting on the liquid during its spraying. The research has determined that the dynamic pressure value of the airflow during the liquid movement in a horizontal duct depends on three factors: the presence of additional resistance, estimated by the value of the effective area duct, the position of the point at which the pressure was measured relative to the duct axis and the distance between the measurement point and the airflow source. The experimental data were tested for reproducibility using the Cochran criterion at the 5% significance level, which proved the process reproducibility. The research has shown that the presence of additional resistance in the duct and the position of the dynamic pressure measurement point relative to the axis of the duct have the same effect on its value. The dynamic pressure of the airflow is primarily dependent on the remoteness of the measurement point from its source.

The use of fertilizers is one of the most effective methods for ensuring a steady increase in the yield of tea plantations and maintaining it at a high level. The author analyzed agrotechnical requirements for the establishment and maintenance of tea plantations, taking into account the specific natural production and physiological characteristics of tea plants. The paper considers the influence of agrotechnical methods for the care of tea plantations on their productivity, such as: fertilizing, pruning, and cultivating the soil in the inter-rows. It has been established that both mineral and organic fertilizers greatly influencence on the development and productivity of tea plants. The latter type in the form of manure or peat compost, when applied in 4 years one time at a rate of 50 t/ha, gives an excellent effect. First, organic fertilizers are used for plantations located on slopes or flat areas with heavy soils. Doses of nitrogen fertilizers are set depending on the age and yield of the tea plantation. It is noted that plantations with closed rows and trellis trimming do not need deep tillage. On such plantations, it is recommended to carry out winter tillage every 3-4 years with the simultaneous intra-soil application of phosphorus and organic fertilizers. The timing of applying phosphorus fertilizers can be adjusted depending on their content in the soil. It is recommended to leave the trellis pruning material on the plantations as an organic fertilizer for plant nutrition. According to the current agrotechnical requirements, the optimal indicator of soil acidity, at which a tea plant shows maximum viability and can give the highest leaf yield, is PH = 4.0...6.5.

The cultivation of oil-bearing roses requires significant labor and energy resources. The research aims to develop a multifunctional farm implement to mechanize technological operations in rose-growing on small and medium-sized farms. The modular farm implement includes a platform-type base module. Depending on the technological operation performed, it incorporates a spraying system, pneumatic pruning system, side panels, or two workplaces for rose pickers. Using computer simulation with a simulation model created using the "Solid Works" software package, the author determined the profiles and the type of materials for the base module production. Graphoanalytical models help establish the parameters of the other modules of the modular machine. The conducted experimental tests proved the constructive strength of the technical solutions and the functional suitability of the modular machine. It was found that in oil-bearing rose plantations, the farm implement performs spraying at the consumption rates of 300.. .400 l/ha for treatment of the soil surface area under the rose bushes and 1000 l/ha and more for disease and pest control, foliar feeding, and other activities. The variant of the modular machine for selective pruning is ergonomic and efficient at a maximum cut diameter of up to 25 mm and pressure in the tractor pneumatic system between 0.3.. .0.73 MPa. The highest effect of mechanized oil-bearing rose harvesting with the modular machine could be achieved in well-maintained plantations. The optimal height of the bushes should be 1.5.. .1.6 m, and the operation should be performed in the period of active flowering (after 4-5 years of planting or rejuvenation). It is also possible to use the modular machine for transportation purposes. Experimental tests of the developed modular machine for oil-bearing rose production proved the constructive strength of the technical solutions and its functional suitability in several technological operations.

Two goals can be achieved in repair production when controlling linear dimensions, depending on the task at hand. First, measurement is taken to determine the size of the controlled part in absolute terms. Then, the size of the controlled part is determined within the prescribed maximum deviations. According to the measurement results, the part is classified as suitable or rejected. The second goal is achieved with the help of calibers, which significantly increases the speed and reduces the labor intensity of control. But standard gauges are not available for repair dimensions and tolerances, so an individual approach is required. The authors offer a snap-gauge project including staples for serial repair production to control the diameter of the front journal of the countershaft of ZMZ engines during repairs. The technology includes grinding for a sleeve of the repair size and ensuring the quality of fit in the joint of 048.8 mm. The tolerance for the production of the go and no-go sides equals 7 microns. To provide a margin for wear, the shift into the tolerance field by the go side of the snap-gauge should amount to 6 microns. The calculated limiting wear value equals +5 microns. To control the dimensions of the working snap-gauge during operation, it is necessary to use a control gauge. The authors determined the tolerance for the dimensions of the control gauge that equals 2.5 microns and established the limiting dimensions of the gauge. Taking into account the obtained values, the authors have constructed a diagram of the tolerance fields of the snap-gauge for controlling the shaft size of 48.8 mm with upper and lower deviations of -0.041 mm and -0.016 mm, respectively, and made a sketch of the developed measuring instrument.

High-speed plowing forces significant changes in the design of the working elements of the plow. Such changes greatly affected the wear pattern and, consequently, called for modified technical processes of restoring and strengthening. The working body design includes a plowshare, the function of which is performed by the left-side knife. The research purpose was to control the technical condition of the above-mentioned parts of the PSKu-series plow; study the geometry, location, and magnitude of wear; and develop restoration and hardening technologies. The residual values of thickness and width were used as the criteria for wear since they influence the recovery method. These values were controlled by standard measuring instruments - calipers and height gauges. The hardness measured by the Rockwell method (HRC) was used as a criterion for the mechanical properties of the construction material. Studies have shown that the wear on the working surfaces has a rather complex geometry, which is associated with the specifics of the force action of the soil. This defect should be eliminated because the probability of extreme wear in thickness increases when the part rotates. The authors proposed that the wear on the left-side knife should be eliminated by patching with a low-carbon electrode and subsequent hardening with surfacing reinforcement. It has been experimentally established that the wear amounts to about 7 mm in thickness and no more than 8 mm in width for a knife with a 45.. .54 HRC blade. The wear is caused by a hard-facing layer with a hardness of 73...74 HRC on the backside. High-quality heat treatment ensures an increased resistance of the part to abrasive wear. For left-side knives, it is expedient to apply electrode surfacing with a low-carbon rod and the subsequent hardening by surfacing reinforcement.

The main disadvantage of the existing facilities for antibacterial milk treatment is its low quality due to the lack of ozonation. Milk sterilization requires a combined system of ozonation that includes ozonation and ultraviolet irradiation. In this system, ozone is prepared in a sealed chamber, and ozone saturation of milk occurs impulsively. In each feeding period, the amount of ozone is increased step-by-step, and its concentration can be varied according to the required level of microbial contamination of milk. At the initial stage, ozone at a concentration of 24 g/m³ is applied in pulses for 10 s; then, based on the readings of the bacterial concentration sensor, the operating mode is adjusted according to the program. An operational algorithm of the control program of the combined ozonation system for milk sterilization is developed to operate in two modes: the filling mode and the milk processing mode. Microbiological analysis of sterilized milk shows that the maximum effect is observed in the first 15 seconds of the system operation. On average, the concentration of pathogenic microflora decreases by 24%. Within 60 seconds, the microbial contamination of milk decreases by 49%. The combined ozonation system makes it possible to improve the quality of milk sterilization, taking into account the required level of microbial contamination in milk and reducing the adverse effects of long-term high-temperature exposure. The authors have experimentally proved the feasibility of the combined ozonation system using the developed control program algorithm.

The article proves the practicality of transferring individual objects of the agro-industrial sector to a combined power supply using a centralized network, photoelectric converters, and batteries. The authors state that there is no available information about the functioning algorithm of the combined power supply systems from foreign manufacturers and prove the necessity of independently developing and popularizing such systems. The article provides movement directions of energy flows in combined power supply systems. These areas offer the mutual redistribution of electrical energy between photovoltaic converters, batteries, consumers, and the industrial network. The authors show the prospects of developing the commercial supply of autonomously generated surplus electricity to the grid. The conditions for implementing the main directions of energy flows are formulated, and an algorithm for controlling the system elements is drawn up. The article presents the design of a basic relay-contact electrical circuit of the command-switching device of the combined power supply system. The authors describe the design of a semiconductor inverter ensuring the in-phase of the generated voltage with the industrial network voltage and present the block diagram of a command-switching device based on logical elements.

The load current affects the value of the short-circuit current in the electric network and, consequently, the voltage value. In some cases, this influence must be taken into account for the correct choice of switching devices, remote monitoring the operating modes of electric networks, and determining the modes. It is possible to disconnect loads connected through magnetic starters and contactors. Failure to consider the influence of the load current can lead to an incorrect interpretation of the identified grid operating modes during remote monitoring and, as a result, incorrect dispatcher's decisions. In addition, it is also insufficient to specify the choice of switching devices in the 10 kV feed network. The article describes a method for analyzing the three-phase short circuit mode in a 10 kV feed network, taking into account the influence of load currents. The method is exemplified by the case of an actual electric network - the 10 kV ring feed network containing reclosers and receiving power from different sections of low-voltage buses of the "Kulikovskaya" 110/35/10 kV substation, belonging to the Branch of PJSC «DGC of Centef'-"Orelenergo." For this network, the values of the three-phase short-circuit currents at points with different distances from the substation buses have been determined. The authors have figured out the values of the load currents and their shares in the total short-circuit current. The voltage values at different points of the network in the case of short circuits have also been determined. The research proves that the effect of the load current on the total short-circuit current should be taken into account for the case of remote short circuits.