Developing of a Prototype to adapt Class Maize Chopper to Poplar Harvesting

Abstract

The research activities conducted within the wooden cellulosic bio-masses storage tests showed that the reduced size of the chopped product has negative repercussions on the preservation of the stored product, the improving of the machine productivity in the harvest phase, and, in particular, on the evaluation of SRF harvesting mechanization systems, and highlighted some operative limits due to the cutting system of maize chopper Class Jaguar. The CRA-ING, in order to get over the above mentioned limits, designed a new cutting system. The new rotor was mounted on a Claas Jaguar 890 operating machine, replacing the commercial one and some experimental tests on second-cut poplar plantations harvest were executed. To this end CRA-ING designed a rotor of five series of double staggered knives for an amount of ten knives (the current one was made up of 12 knives - two sets of six). The new rotor developed for the poplar cutting improves the chopped product and the productivity of the machine. The experiments conducted in the last years demonstrated that in order to have a good air circulation in the pile, it has to be made up of thin chip (<12,5 mm), decreasing the moisture content and fermentative phenomena. The comparison of the results obtained in the different experimental tests, related to the same type of installation revealed an increase of 22% of the working capacity of the maize chopper machine equipped with the new rotor, with positive repercussions on the harvest costs related to the unit of surface (-19%). The new rotor (10 knives) shows a good performance in less consumptions, less power input (15%) and a greater speed of the advancing machine in the harvest phase, as well as a better chip size.