A technology for seeds cleaning and graduation
Recently, confectionery sunflower varieties, characterized with a large 1000 seeds weight and also damageability under the influence of external forces have become very popular. Therefore, to reduce the seed damages, the gaps in the threshing device of the combine are increased that leads to an increased foreign matters content in a heap. The content of impurities reaches 23%. When processing this heap, the air-screening machines are clogged, their productivity drastically reduced, and the loss of seeds to waste increases. It is necessary to develop a technology for post-harvest processing of a heap of sunflower seeds of any impurities. According to our analysis, the goal is achieved by changing the sequence of application of individual seed sorting operations, as well as using non-grid grain cleaning machines. The technological scheme of the complex providing cleaning of a heap with any impurities is developed. Experimental testing of the new technology is carried out in comparison with the existing one. The analysis of the obtained results testifies to the high efficiency of the proposed technology. The losses of seeds in waste significantly decreased, while the productivity of the complex increased by 64.3%, where a new technology was implemented.