Development and research of a new separating device for a cabbage harvester

BACKGROUND: The 15-20% of the product of machine harvesting of cabbage are cabbage leaves and the remains of weeds. Known devices installed at cabbage harvesters for separating associated waste products do not operate with sufficient quality. In this regard, a new separating device has been developed.

AIMS: Assessment of the effectiveness of operation of a new separating device in assembly with a cabbage harvester in laboratory conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In order to carry out the research, a separating device made in the form of a rotating roller is in-stalled above the web of the conveyor-cutter of the experimental cabbage harvester with a gap be-hind the unloading zone of the cutting device at the α angle to the direction of the cabbage flow. Under laboratory conditions, the working process of the device was studied by supplying a mass of cabbage (heads and cabbage leaves) to the rotating roller, driving the blocks of the cutting device and the conveyor-cutter of the cabbage harvester from the electric motor.

RESULT: As a result of the experiments carried out under the PFE-2² program, the dependence of the opera-tion quality (the degree of separation of cabbage leaves from heads) on the leaves percentage and the size-mass characteristics of heads in the flow was studied. At the same time, it was found that the developed device as a whole operates steadily, the process of separation of associated waste products proceeds most successfully with small and medium sizes of heads and a lower content of cabbage leaves in the flow.

CONCLUSIONS: The developed device separates the associated waste products from heads of cabbage sufficiently in the entire range of their content in the flow from 10 to 20%, which is typical for real field conditions.