MODIFICATION AND PERFORMANC EVALUATION OF TRACTOR OPERATED PIGEON PEA STEM CUTTER.
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Date
2018-08-21
Authors
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Publisher
Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, Maharashtra.
Abstract
A pigeon (Cajanus cajan L. Mills) stem cutter was developed in the department and its performance was evaluated in the field. During testing equipment problem were observed in the improper cutting, height of cut was more than requirement, Conveying lugs were getting bend during conveying operation, Plant guiding system was not guiding the plant up to the last, and shaft on the gearbox getting bend results in improper transmission and Visibility to operator was also poor. Thus, the modification in different system was carried out by the department of Farm Power and Machinery, Dr. PDKV, Akola.
Improper cutting of plants was due to low sharpness, when stem were in bunches, cutting is not possible at that situation. Due to peripheral effect of moving blade, plant of pigeon pea bends and hence the stem was move out of the cutting area of the blade. Hence stem remains uncut and the same plant get choked in revolving pulleys. In view to avoid this, curve sharp blade introduce in the equipment.
When plant is moved in the conveying system, lugs bend to the opposite side of travel due to the pressure of pushing the plants. Lugs don’t hold the stem properly because of more distance in the lugs and hence affects the conveying of plants. Gear box shaft connected to first sprocket of transmission system frequently disengage as it gets bend during operation. Proper arrangement was introduce to solve all predicted problems to the equipment.
The modified pigeon pea stem cutter was tested in the field and was found working satisfactory. Cutting efficiency increased due to due to reducing height of cut. Thus the Conveying efficiency increases due to strengthening conveying system and introducing rectangular frame on right and left side of plant guiding system. Support was also provided to individual lugs to avoid bending of lugs due to pressure. To increase grip on the stem distance between two lugs was reduced which was working satisfactorily. The M.S. shaft was replaced by shaft of steel alloy which work satisfactorily.
As there was visibility problem to the operator during working of machine, a was window introduce exactly at the center on conveying platform to observe the working of the equipment
The performance of newly modified equipment was evaluated in the field at the operating speed of 3 and 3.5 Km/hr the maximum cutting efficiency was found 90.56 % and 87.27 % at 3 Km/hr and 3.5 Km/hr speeds respectively. Conveying efficiency was found 91.66 % and 89.58 %. Whereas the field efficiency was observed 82.59 % and 85.71 % at the above mentioned speeds respectively. The plant damage was found 5.66 % and 7.27 % at 3 Km/hr and 3.5 Km/hr speed of operation. The cost of operation was observed 58.07 % less compared to manual harvesting of the pigeon pea crop.
Description
In view to mechanize harvesting of pigeon pea crop, a front mounted tractor operated pigeon pea stem cutter was developed in the Department of Farm Power and Machinery, Dr. PDKV Akola, The machine was PTO driven consisting of cutting unit, conveying unit, gearbox, propeller shaft, hydraulic motors etc. The pigeon pea stem cutter was tested preliminary in the field and observed improper transfer of power from PTO to propeller shaft. The height of cut 18 cm above the ground level and the height of chain drive of the holding unit was 35 cm above ground level. Due to obstacle of the holding unit cut plants were improperly conveyed. The blades used were straight and blunt. Improper working of conveying unit and holding unit, height of the cutting unit and due to heavy weight of plant on top it was bending in opposite direction of the travel. In view to increase efficiency of the feeding system of crop to cutting mechanism and to facilitate proper cutting and conveying, an improvement in existing system was required. Thus to modify the of pigeon pea stem cutter, the study was undertaken.
Keywords
Crops, Field crops, Pigeon pea, Evaluation, Nitrogen, Agricultural engineering, Equipment, Mechanization, Harvesters, Cereals, Tropical zone crop, Sub-tropical zone crop, Pigeon pea bunding, Climate, Harvesting, Cultivation, Harvesting losses, Forage, Design, Productivity, Labour, Labour cost, Tractors, Area, Irrigation, Irrigated farming, Research, Varieties, Combine harvesters, wheat, Fixed cost, Variable cost, Cost analysis, Prices, Consumption, Tax, Total cost. Sorghum, Rice, Legums.
Citation
GAWAI, KIRAN SUBHASH. (2018). Modification and performance evaluation of tractor operated pigeon pea stem cutter. Department of Farm Power and Machinery, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola. M. Tech. 2018. Print. xiv, 76p. (Unpublished).