Improving the operating efficiency of machines at grain harvesting in Siberia

Abstract

There were identified ways to improve the performance of the harvesting-transportation system for harvesting grain crops by using means for positioning and monitoring machines on a field. Studies were conducted in the forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia from 2007 to 2015 throughout nine harvesting periods. Grain yields amounted to 3.5 tonnes per ha, transportation distances up to 25 km. Taking into account peculiarities of the harvesting-transportation system due to remoteness of fields from post-harvesting grain handling stations, loading and unloading times, an expression was obtained to determine the cycle time of transport facilities for a specific technological scheme using positioning and monitoring means. The use of systems for positioning and monitoring the technical means during harvesting and transportation makes it possible to reduce downtimes, and enhance the system performance. In case of direct-flow grain transportations, the use of machine positioning and monitoring systems results in 12-23% reduction in interdependent idle times of machines; the performance of harvesting-transportation system at the same time is 7-11% lower than the estimated maximum, and rational transportation distances are no more than 12-15 km. When dump trailers are used, the operation of combine harvesters is more independent of transport facilities, and the number of truck tractors decreases by the number of harvesters in the system. This technological scheme of transportation is expedient at distances of up to 5 km; with that, the performance of the harvesting-transportation system increases by 4.9%. With a random distribution of grain threshing places, the building of unloading lines with the use of positioning and monitoring means three times reduces ineffective runs of machines on the field.