Today, post-harvest processing of breeding material requires using a screen seed cleaner that should be adequate in performance and comply with all the requirements for plant-breeding machines. For the research, use was made of a model bench of a screen seed cleaner with pre-determined kinematic parameters of the scree shoe and the inclination angles of screens. The experiments were conducted for five variants of the vibration amplitude of a screen shoe (7, 10, 14, 18 and 22 mm), with a change in the frequency of its vibration frequency from 169 to 470 1/min. At the same time, the kinematic screen index varied within 6.9.. .19.3 m/sec2. The same experiments were carried out at two inclination angles of the screen shoe -6 and 9°. It has been shown that an increase in the kinematic indicator of screens leads to decreased clogging of screen holes. The optimal values of the kinematic indicator of screens with oblong holes, depending on the vibration amplitude, are within 11.0...15.0 m/sec2. The extraction coefficient of minor impurities in this case varies within 84.6...89.6%. With a large inclination angle of the screens (9°), the penetration rate of the upper screen (with round holes) is 3...10 times higher, and the lower screen (with rectangular holes) is clogged approximately 2 times more intensively than at an inclination angle of 6°. The authors have determined that for a screen seed cleaner to operate at the modes ensuring optimal processing of both small seeds and grain crops, the vibration amplitude of a screen shoe should equal 9 mm, and its vibration frequency should range between 350 and 450 1/min at an inclination angle of screens amounting to 7°.

Improving the quality of pre-sowing tillage, especially for small-seeded crops is an urgent task, which directly affects the yield and cost of farm produce. At the same time, the quality of pre-sowing soil treatment can be assessed according to different properties and characteristics, taking into account the type of soil. Basing on the method of statistical processing of experimental data, a quality criterion for pre-sowing tillage has been proposed, which is determined by the dependence on the weighted average size of soil aggregates, and ranges between 0.40 and 0.90, depending on the test conditions. Laboratory-field studies of pre-sowing tillage of soil by various tillage machines РВК-3,6; БМКА-3,0В; КБМ-8,0НУ The authors have obtained data on physical properties and the criterion of the soil deformation to the agronomically acceptable size of soil peds using standard techniques. The analysis of laboratory and field test results has shown that in the soil conditions of the Tver region, the РВК-3,6 unit crushes soil more intensively, as compared with other tillage machines. However, it has been found that in terms of the qualitative change in the technological properties of the soil (density, moisture content, and levelling), the РВК-3,6 unit is inferior to a prototype of the block-modular combined БМКА-3,0В unit. The authors note that the use of a weighted average medium-volume, a generalized medium-size, dispersion and the coefficient of variation of soil peds for the evaluation of the tested soil-cultivating units provides for fuller evaluation of the uniformity of soil profile deformation.

The paper considers various technologies of soil preparation for planting melons and gourds. The authors show advantages and disadvantages of each of the considered technique. When preparing the soil for planting melons and gourds, it is necessary to perform a number of technological operations of main and pre-sowing tillage, as well as to open irrigation furrows. The production process is associated with high power consumption. Significant time spent on operations leads to moisture loss in the soil in a hot Central Asian climate. To eliminate these shortcomings, the authors propose a new technology for preparing the soil for sowing using a combined tillage unit, which performs all the necessary operations in one run: smooth plowing of the soil with the help of the working tools of the front plow with simultaneous formation of irrigated furrows and pre-sowing tillage using wheel spiders or knife wheels, with a slat roller located behind them. The proposed technology of soil preparation using a combined unit allows to reduce the operating time, save moisture, reduce labor costs and fuel consumption. Also, the level of soil compaction can be decreased by reducing the number of the unit runs across the field. The offered rational technology of soil preparation for sowing of melons and gourds is most acceptable for use in hot climate conditions.

The author claims that the existing method of agromechanical quality assessment of planting potato tubers and achieving uniform crop distribution across the field surface uses a special factor that takes into account the ratio of the number of intervals equal to an average step of planting to the total number of measured intervals between tubers. However, this coefficient, not being a statistical indicator, does not take into account the random nature of inter-tuber intervals and can lead to errors in the planning of future yields. The paper presents a technique developed for reliable parametric evaluation and selection of a more rational pattern for locating plants across a field that meets the requirements of a relatively higher yield. For this purpose, each interval with different ways of tuber layout was determined as a random variable, subject to a certain distribution law. The obtained results confirmed the substantiality of the coefficient of crop planting at a 10% significance level of Fisher's criterion (F) and the presence of significance in the differentiation of the average yield at a 5% significance level of Student's test (t). It has been established that the probabilistic relationship between the relative yield and the coefficient of variation of the planting step is quite high with a correlation coefficient of 0.81 and 0.71 at a step of 0.30 and 0.35 m, respectively. Equations have been obtained that allow evaluating the uniform distribution of potato tubers over the field area with different planting patterns and in-row crop arrangement for an average planting step of 30 and 35 cm. Research results have shown that the random nature of the tubers layout has a significant effect on the yield, which decreases when the coefficient of variation exceeds 25%, and as the average planting step decreases, this effect reduces as well.

To obtain high and sustainable yields on reclaimed land, systematic application of mineral fertilizers is required to replace the nutrients removed with the crops. The most effective way to prevent the removal of elements of mineral nutrition outside the drained areas is the construction of water circulation systems. The paper considers two water circulating drainage-and-moistening systems protected by the Russian Federation patents for inventions. The first one is a drainage-and-moistening system, which includes closed drains associated with collectors equipped with drainage drain storage wells, to which fine sprinkler systems are connected. The second is a water circulation drainage-and-moistening system, which includes a drainage collector, a drainage well, drains, a set of vertical storage wells, non-diverging siphons and a pump. The proposed systems allow collecting and accumulating drainage water during the period of their excessive accumulation in the drained area in summer, and using accumulated water in the periods of a soil moisture deficit in the root zone to irrigate the soil be means a sub-irrigation method without constructing an additional irrigation network. It is noted that the described system of storage wells can serve as a water source for both the fine sprinkling system and the drip irrigation system, since the water accumulated in the storage wells does not contain biofits and large suspended particles and does not require cleaning with special filters. The use of new irrigation methods prevents not only the fertilizer removal with drainage water, but also supplies crops with moisture during short-term droughts.

The authors propose a method of adjusting the working mechanism control system for the previously developed mathematical model of the working mechanism of a Chetra EGP-230 power shovel, supplemented by dynamic characteristics in operation, which allows to evaluate the accuracy of the work performed taking into account cutting forces. As a method of making adjustments, adaptive control methods have been chosen, since only they can allow to actively influence the process of digging, taking account of continuously changing working conditions. The control process is considered for a flat model of the working mechanism without any considerations of a turntable, since adaptive control is introduced only when digging, in order to prevent excessive burial of the working mechanism bucket. Among all the adaptive control methods, the authors have chosen control methods for the moving average, since they include information on the last few measured parameters, which provides for the most efficient corrections. Several formulas have been considered by which corrections in the working mechanism control system can be calculated, and an accuracy control factor has been proposed for evaluating the effectiveness of the control operations. For these formulas, the proposed method of making adjustments has been tested in a number of cases: with different laws of distribution of the measured value; with different permissible deviations of the measured value; with the introduction of a systematic error of the measured value; and with changed amounts of measurements. The authors have also evaluated the control effectiveness according to the quality management method described in the GOST R50779 series. Basing on the experiments, the authors have shown that the proposed method of making adjustments in the working mechanism control system of a power shovel does not decrease the digging accuracy and a non-negative result can be obtained for any digging process. The introduction of control is most effective with a relatively small number of digging iterations (no more than 30); in this case, the selected control method, on the average, improves the adjusted position of the cutting edge by 15.25% as compared with the value obtained without introducing the control operations.

The paper presents proposals to apply a method of chemical gas-phase deposition of metals (CVD-method) in agricultural engineering for obtaining wear-proof and corrosion-resistant coatings. The authors provide basic information containing is a detailed description of the equipment, new methods of applying coatings and technological modes, as well as give overview information on the method of chemical gas-phase deposition. The paper describes new technological equipment for the implementation of chemical gas-phase metal deposition by decomposition of metalorganic compounds (MOC) in a liquid or a solid phase. Two main methods of the MOC input into the reaction chamber (for liquid and solid MOC) are considered. The authors present a block diagram and photographs of the installation allowing to get a complete picture of the process and show a commercially available installation for applying PVD coatings that is modified and adapted to chemical gas-phase deposition processes. They also offer the most promising areas for using the CVD-method of MOC decomposing in industrial production and present a list of the most promising areas of utilizing MOC in industrial production indicating the technological modes of their decomposition.

The paper considers a mechanisms of influence of disperse particles on the strength properties of polymeric composite materials. The authors have determined consistent patterns of impact strength of compositions depending on the durability of a filler and the module of elasticity. The paper presents a technique to study the resistance of polymeric composite material to cyclic loadings. The authors have conducted researches of the influence of carbon nanotubes on the impact strength of polymeric composite materials and their durability at cyclic loads. The also propose a technique and research results of the durability of fixed connections of roller bearings. The analysis of durability tests carried out for 330 hours of continuous bench operation has shown that at the greatest possible radial loading of equal 20 kN the durability of nanocomposition connections of anaerobic sealant AN-111 is up to 60% higher as compared with unfilled sealant AN-111(the destruction of a glue line with a thickness of 0.2 mm was observed in 24 hours for an unfilled sealant and in 39 hours for a polymer composition). The application of this nanocomposition allows to restore fixed connections of roller bearings with a wear degree of up to 0.125 mm.

The paper reveals a systematic approach to the diagnostics of technical objects using modern methods and means. Two authors consider two of the three diagnosing levels as elements of the unified concept called systematic diagnostics. The first level includes examination of so called organoleptic indicators of the object and its functioning. Such indicators only have high significance for experts, so to interpret them the authors suggest applying the Exsys expert evaluation system, which is a software and hardware package together with its databases. The expert system elaborated by the authors can trace a defect by its symptoms, and gives a list of probable causes of defects in a descending probability level. The more complete information capability is enhanced by applying instrumental (indicator and in-depth ones) diagnostics methods. The use of complex methods in the framework of system diagnostics is a very urgent task of increasing the reliability and durability of automotive and combine diesel engines by controlling their technical condition during their operation and one of the main technologies of resource-saving farming technology.

An important requirement for microwave treatment of agricultural products is the dosing accuracy of the energy supplied. The most successful dosing of microwave energy is achieved in installations of cyclic action. At the same time, the microwave field in the working chambers of such installations is distributed unevenly, which puts forward the task of finding a compromise between the degree of loading and the uniformity of impact. To search for equally irradiated space, the authors have conducted an experimental study of the distribution of the microwave field. Basing on the study results, they have designed a three-factor mathematical model in the form of a nonlinear polynomial. Stationary points of the process have been determined by solving a system of linear algebraic equations obtained as a result of setting to zero partial derivatives of the mathematical model with respect to length, width, and height. The maximum value of the extremum has been established with Sylvester's criterion by alternating the diagonal minor signs of the Hessian matrix. The theoretical part of the work consists in studying the distribution of the microwave field by interpolating a mathematical model in the space of the working chamber. To do this, a calculation has been made of the energy dose reported to the treated material at various points in the working chamber and the results have been compared with an acceptable value. If the dose divergence at any point is small, then this point is recognized as part of the equally irradiated space. To provide for objective results in the process of searching for equally irradiated space and to achieve the uniformity of results, sequential studies have been performed on points located on the surface of a ball with an increasing radius. To implement the model of ballooning, use has been made of a computational algorithm consisting in a step-by-step search of points on the circles surrounding the ball. After the calculation of the impact dose on the points located on the ball surface, its radius increases and the research can be resumed.

The Department of Technology and Technological and Processing Equipment of Livestock Products (Crimean Federal University named after V.I. Vernadsky) conducts research on the optimization of energy costs of the milk processing technology. Experimental studies of the power consumption of a thermo-mixing installation in a manufacturing line of dairy products have been carried out with the help of an experimental production plant. To measure the temperature of the heated water in the solar collectors the authors have used calibrated thermocouples TXA of K type of a measuring 8-channel block "Tera Д-ИТ-8ТП-Э3а-РSТ-2U". The energy costs for heating the product have been determined by measuring the voltage parameters on thermal electric heaters. The results of the conducted experiments have confirmed the hypothesis of a possibility of replacing the consumed electric energy by heating the product with solar radiation energy converted into thermal energy by means of a complex energy-substituting installation (CESI). The figures show the comparison of specific energy costs in the thermo-mixing system of the existing version, and in the case of the CESI use. The paper offers a relationship pattern of the energy consumption amount and the product amount - from 0.1 to 1.0 tons; it also shows comparative diagrams of specific energy consumption for the operation of thermo-mixing system at various ways of supplying a heat carrier. It is claimed that the installation of an energy-substituting installation based on solar collectors makes it possible to reduce the total energy consumption at an ambient temperature of 20.. .30°C from 11.0 to 2.3 kWh/ton at a solar radiation intensity Qc of 0.45...1.0 kW/m2. At values of Qc equaling 1.0...1.55 kW/m2, practically all the energy spent on heating can be replaced by free energy of solar radiation. It has been proved that two-circuit supply of a heat-transfer agent to the fermentation tank allows to reduce specific energy costs for the system operation by an average of 25% as compared to its supply to the heating jacket only. In contrast to the existing basic version, the reduction of specific energy consumption will amount to 55.78%, depending on weather conditions.

The paper presents experimental data describing the power generation properties of plain water. It is noticed that the electrodes immersed in a bowl of water become alternatively charged. Potential difference on the electrodes has very little value, which can only be detected using a galvanometer or millivoltmeter. Moreover, the voltage on the electrodes slowly grows over the time to reach a certain limit, after which it remains constant. To experimentally identify the dynamics of charge increasing, the authors has applied capacitors connected to the electrodes. Use has been made of small size items for up to 100 ml of ordinary tap water. The search for theoretical explanations of the described property has led to the implementation of the theory of heat fluctuations of water molecules. In this respect, the mathematical model of Smoluchowski -Einstein formula has proved to be adequately relevant. Having inserted the experimental data into the formula the authors have managed to show the form factor invariability of the experimental device. This can be considered as a confirmation of the effect made by fluctuating water molecules on moving charge carriers in the water. Such effects on the electrodes lead to potential difference, the value of which can be calculated using the formula of Smoluchowski-Einstein.