Agriculture/ 2. Farm Mechanization

Alatoom Mohammad

Lugansk National Agricultural University, Ukraine

THE CONTINUOUS-RUNNING FODDER MIXER

Constantly developing food resources (the appearance of new types of premixes, increasing the range of pelletized feeds, etc.) requires the creation of conditions for the intensification of the mixing processes.

Continuous running fodder mixers are most promising, among which mixers with rotating bunker are of the most practical and scientific interest.

In existing designs of continuous-running fodder mixers with a rotating bunker a mixing process occurs in such a way [1, p. 35]. At the circulation motion in the cross-sectional view of the drum all the material can be divided into rising (zone АСВМ) and rolling down (zone АСВN) layers (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. To the description of the principle of operation of the existing constructions of continuous running fodder mixers with a rotating bunker.

A line ABC is a border of the division of layers. Point C is a circulation center, around which bulk material is moving about a closed path. On the site territory АС the transit of particles from a rising layer to rolling down layer happens, and on the site territory СВ conversely, from rolling down layer into the rising one. In the rising layer particles move in concentric circles with a center on the axis of rotation of the drum and with the angular velocities equal to the angular velocity of the drum rotation.

Preparation of a food mixture consisting of three components: (40% - shreddings of rough feed (hay), 45% - shaving of feeding root crops, and 15% - milled grain) requires a fundamentally different approach [2 - 5]. The working tools of the mixer should prevent the formation of the center of circulation (see point C in Fig. 1), and mixing should occur by an alternate change of the layers’ position.

This principle of mixing was taken as a basis of the mixer proposed by us (Fig. 2).

а

б

Figure 2. Continuous-running fodder mixer: а – side view;

б – view from the side of unloading of the final product; 1, 2 – front and back cone, accordingly; 3, 4 – mechanism of the mixer’s drive; 5 – the movable frame; 6 – a screw winding; 7 - L-shaped beaters; 8- mechanism of changing the setting angle of the mixer; 9 – the discharge chute; 10 – the supporting block.

Rotational frequency of the continuous- running mixer is smoothly regulated with a help of a direct current motor, controlled from a common control panel through the original transformer regulator. The interval of variable speed of the mixer is 0-200 min^-1.

The mixer works in the following way. The components of the feed mixture (crushed grain, succulent and roughage fodder) are fed into the mixer with a help of proportioning devices. The front cone 1 with a help of the winding 6, situated on its inner surface, catches components and sets them moving along a spiral path. The winding is equipped with L-shaped beaters 7 with a length 100 mm, the beaters are fixed with an interval of 75 mm from one another. This allows lifting a part of the layer of the feed mixture at a height, greater than the slope of repose of its components. This effect prevents the formation of the center of the circulation of the mixture’s components and mixing is provided by the alternate change of the layers’ position. Furthermore, the shape of the mixer, consisting of two truncated cones connected by a smaller base, provides a varying value of the components’ angular velocity, which also has a positive effect on the efficiency of the mixing process.

The winding provides two complete rotations of the material. The length of the each cone is 750 mm. The cones are connected by a cylindrical spacer plate of the length of 250 mm. The diameter of the larger base of the cones is 500 mm and of the smaller base is 250 mm. After passing the first cone feeding stuff is additionally mixed in the symmetrically-situated second cone. The installation angle of the mixer is changed by a screw mechanism 8 of the movable frame 5 from 0 to 25 degrees. The design of the mixer allows to change the quantity and shape of the beaters of the winding, and the scheme of their installation. The ready feed mixture is unloaded through the chute 9. For the purpose of improvement of the quality of mixing the winding of the mixer’s cones is provided not only with L-shaped beaters but also with rectangular shaped extenders that allows to raise the layers of the feed mixture at different heights from h₁ to h₃ (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3. To the description of principle of operation of a new design of a continuous – running fodder mixer with a rotating bunker: 1 – a screw winding; 2 – extender of the part of winding; 3 – L-shaped beater; h1, h2, h3 – height of lifting of the mixture by a screw winding, extender and L-shaped beater, accordingly.

The use of a continuous-running fodder mixer with a rotating bunker of the proposed design will allow mixing feed components that differ significantly in

mechanical and technological properties (moisture content, the dynamic friction coefficient, etc.) effectively.

Literature:

1. Pershin V.F. Processing of bulky materials in the drum-type machines / V.F. Pershin, V.G. Odnolko, S.V Pershina. – М.: Mashinostroienie, 2009. – 220 p.

2. Mohammad Alatoom Improvement of the preparation process of multicomponent fodder for small cattle / TEKA Commission of motorization and power industry in agriculture and the VOLODYMIR DAHL and East-Ukrainian national university of Lugansk. Volume XI B. – Lublin, 2011. – p. 213-219.

3. Zavrazhnov А.I. Mechanization of preparing and storage of feeding-stuff / А.I. Zavrazhnov, D.I. Nikolaiev. - М.: Аgropromizdat, 1990.

4. Alatoom Mohammad, Diemchenko V.N. Improvement of the process of preparing multicomponent fodder for small cattle // Scientific reporter of Tavriiskyi state agrotechnological university [Еlectronic resource]. - Мelitopol: TDATU, 2011. Issue 1. – Book 3. - P. 35-42.

5. Аlatoom Моhammad, Braginets N.V., Bakhariev D.N. Requirements to preparing of feeding stuffs for small cattle // Collection of thesis reports of the international conference «Modern problems of agricultural mechanics» in memory of the academician P.M. Vasylenko October 17-18, 2011. Lugansk: ЛNAU, 2011. - P. 7-8.

6. Alatoom Mohammad, Braginets N.V., Bakhariev D.N. Ground of the constructive and technological scheme of the fodder chopper-mixer for small cattle // Collection of thesis reports of the scientific-practical conference of Lugansk national agricultural university of January 19-25, 2012. Lugansk: LNAU, - P. 12-13.

7. Mohammad Alatoom To the methodology of experimental research of the continuous-running fodder mixer / TEKA Commission of motorization and power industry in agriculture and the VOLODYMIR DAHL and East-Ukrainian national university of Lugansk. Volume 12, № 4, 2012. – p. 145-151.