The theoretical studies of seed grain flow into the pneumatic pipeline of seeding machinery
The article examines the ways of improving the process of delivering seed grains into a horizontal pneumatic pipeline of a pneumatic grain seeder by the metering device. On the basis of design analysis, it has been found that the installation of special platforms in the horizontal pneumatic pipeline under the dispenser is a feasible option for improving the efficiency of the flowing seeds process. The installation of these platforms allows to solve several problems: to reduce the energy consumption of seed flow into the pneumatic pipeline and to improve the technological efficiency of sowing system due to lowering the probability of seed clogging. On the basis of well-known theoretical mechanics laws, the differential equations were derived. They describe the motion of the seed grains particles in horizontal pneumatic pipeline both with the platform and without the platform. The solution of the obtained equations allowed to get the expressions for determining the speed and defining the trajectories of seed grain particles. On the basis of obtained dependencies analysis, it has been found that an extra platform allows to increase the distance of grain seed particle traveling between two successive collisions with the walls of the pneumatic pipeline (the length of a “jump” is increasing). It has been also proved that the particles velocity at time instants between two successive collisions with the wall of the pneumatic pipeline is higher in the case when the platform is installed. Thus, the installation of a platform reduces the kinetic energy consumption of airflow for lifting and accelerating particles of grain seed material. Thus, it can be concluded that it is possible to reduce energy consumption of seed flow process