The regularities of effective power change of gas-turbine engine (GTD-350T), constant power engine (D-260.4S2) and diesel engine (SMD-62), depending on external load and the coefficient of its variation are investigated. The comparative estimation of efficiency of these engines’ application on tractors in aggregate with soil cultivating machines is carried out; experimental data is received. The methods of mathematical modeling and probabilistic-statistical estimation of the operational parameters of soil cultivating units are applied. The dependencies of extreme values of effective power of abovementioned engines on the shaft torque and coefficient of load variation are obtained. The studies show that the piecewise-linear characteristic of constant power engines is more rational than the piecewise parabolic characteristic of diesel engines. The parabolic characteristic of gas-turbine engines is the most effective one and less sensitive to the fluctuations of external load. The application of gas-turbine engines on tractors meets the technical and technological requirements for agricultural machinery. The gas-turbine engines can improve the competitiveness of domestic tractors by 1.2-1.3 times, reduce the expenditure of labor by 15-20%, increase the productivity of labor on average by 18-22% compared with tractors equipped with diesel engines.

The results of research of technological characteristics of a device with rotating drum are analyzed; this device is used as a separator and mixer in the production of seeds of cereals and small-seeded vegetable crops. The seeds handling is organized by means of the separation effects (segregation and migration) of nonuniform particles during their interaction on a gravity chute. The processes of separation and mixing are performed due to the control of segregated flows in the operating volume of device. It is found that separation effects can be used to organize the cleaning of seeds containing hard-separable impurities, and their calibration on size and density at the same time. During cleaning and calibration of carrot seeds the result of their primary handling was the yield of 65% of cleaned seeds; their mass exceeded by 67% the mass of seeds in primary waste. It is also found that the use of particle interaction effects creates the conditions for seeds handling with their minimal damage. The germination of seeds calibrated in accordance with the proposed technique is higher by 5% than the germination of seeds obtained in traditional way. It is shown experimentally that there is a possibility to organize the process of continuous mixing of seeds with dosed supply of microcomponents, the period of which is much larger than the average retention time. The drum device saves the properties of heat and mass transfer equipment (dryer) in all the variants of its technological applications. The selective and goal-oriented control action on a part of material flow in device provides the technological effects without any significant increase of energy consumption.

The development of Ural-432065 specialized all-wheel vehicle chassis with STA-5ZhO replaceable technological superstructure complies with agrotechnical, safe operation and maintenance requirements. Safety requirements and warning descriptions are reflected in the service manual in both text and graphical forms. It is important to study the service manual before using. The relevant symbols are represented on the equipment in locations of working organs and servo units. The Ural-432065 chassis with STA-5ZhO replaceable technological superstructure is intended for transportation and subsoil application of liquid organic fertilizers. The assembly can also be used for community facilities on all types of roads and terrain. The STA-5ZhO superstructure is designed in the form of tank equipped with auxiliary mechanisms with hydraulic drive from the base vehicle chassis. General view of STA-5ZhO superstructure, its specifications, composition, principle of operation, operator control, hydraulic circuit description, electrical schematic diagram, features of operation and service are presented. The adjustment of organic fertilizer consumption at the input of distributor is provided by the installation of plain washer that allows to change the passage area of distributor pipe. Organic fertilizer consumption depends on its density and on the size of plain washer. Operation of STA-5ZhO replaceable technological superstructure for transportation and subsoil application of liquid organic fertilizers based on Ural-432065 vehicle chassis is provided by performance and technology standards, regulated by relevant documents, available and handy to the operator. Design capabilities and used constituent parts allow to increase the operating efficiency of the replaceable superstructure as a part of technological complexes with rise in labor productivity.

Innovative technologies and technical means of drying which allow to dry the grain efficiently and with minimal costs are very important for development and improvement of grain industry. These technologies include the oscillating modes, the essence of which is that the material is periodically affected by heated and unheated drying agent. These modes provide periodical grain cooling, that allows to increase drying agent temperature and decrease heat losses. However, periodical grain cooling with unheated air often lowers the effect of oscillating mode. Pulse mode, unlike the oscillating one, is characterized only by decreased liquid fuel supply in the dryer, and grain cooling on a value close to theoretical one, which allows to decrease heat losses and increase dryer efficiency. The mathematical methods of calculation of temperature and duration of impact of low-heated drying agent on the grain are suggested. To determine the temperature of low-heated drying agent and its impact duration, the heat and mass transfer equations in layer and caryopsis were composed and solved; the calculated expressions were obtained from them. During acceptance testing of the S-30 dryer, the calculated dependences for determining these parameters were checked. The wet grain was continuously sent into grain dryer, the dried and cooled grain was withdrawn at the same time. The «big fire» nozzle in firebox was periodically enabled and disabled, and the «low fire» nozzle remained in working mode, thus a pulse mode of drying was created. The maximum temperature of heated drying agent was 105 degrees С, while the temperature of low-heated drying agent was 46 degrees С. It was established that curves of changing in temperature and moisture of grain did not differ from the classic curves under oscillating drying mode. The use of pulse drying mode allows to shorten by two times the amplitude of temperature oscillations of drying agent and to reduce heat losses by 10-12%. The temperature of low-heated drying agent should not be below the maximum permissible heating temperature of grain by more than 8-10 degrees C.

The article analyzes the ways of embedding of green manure into soil; it describes the design and technological schemes of implements which can be used in organic farming technology for realization of these ways. The purpose of the research is to develop the implements for embedding of stubble remains and green manure into the surface soil, which will increase the productivity and provide proper quality of technological process. It is an actual problem at present, when the use of stubble remains and green manure with other factors gives wide range of opportunities to increase the soil fertility. Theoretical and experimental methods used in the research are based on application of the fundamentals of agricultural mechanics, the theory of agricultural machines and measurement methods regulated by standards. The article presents the results of theoretical research that substantiates the design and technological schemes of two implements. The first implement is intended for plants shredding and mulch forming on the surface of soil; the second one is for shredding of green manure and stubble remains and their embedding into the surface soil. The parameters of compacting roller with shredding elements that is a basic working organ of both implements are substantiated. The results of experimental researches are presented; they confirm the results of theoretical research on substantiation of parameters of compacting roller. It is concluded that the use of suggested implements in organic farming technology provides high-quality plants shredding and mulch forming on the surface of soil, as well as shredding of green manure and stubble remains and their embedding into the surface soil.

One of the reasons of poor effectiveness of machines for postharvest grain handling is the difficulty of optimal modes setting under constantly changing input actions. Using of hardware check and technological process control instead of manual adjustment will reduce the costs and improve the quality of postharvest grain handling. A grain loss sensor for device of parameter checkout of technological process of pneumatic systems of grain-cleaning machines is developed. Its operation is based on the analysis of parameters of sound pressure signal, that arises when grains blowing together with impurities are hitting against a wall of settling chamber. The sensor design is developed on the basis of Soho T-1 low-cost piezometric transducer. The sensor is located on the outer side of a wall against which grains are hitting, and lies outside the air stream carrying the impurities and dust. Therefore, the reliability of the sensor increases, and the air stream structure in pneumatic separation system remains steady. The parameters of sound signal arising when grains are hitting against a wall of settling chamber are determined. The researches were conducted with the grains of wheat, rye, oats and barley; the grain moisture content was varied within the range from 12.6 to 35%. The dependencies between the parameters of sound signal arising when grains are hitting against a wall of settling chamber and the grain loss level have been obtained. The operational capability of the sensor was tested on an experimental model of pneumatic separator installed on postharvest grain handling line. The sensor can be adapted for operation in other pneumatic systems of grain-cleaning machines.