STUDY ON SOME OPERATING PARAMETERS AFFECTING THE CUTTING ACTION OF CORN AND COTTON CROPS USING RECIPROCATING MOWER

Ali, M. M. A.; Hassan, M. M. A.; Abd-El-Metaal, G. S.

doi:10.21608/mjae.2011.102599

STUDY ON SOME OPERATING PARAMETERS AFFECTING THE CUTTING ACTION OF CORN AND COTTON CROPS USING RECIPROCATING MOWER

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Assist. Prof. of Agric. Eng., Fac. of Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt.

² Lecturer of Agric. Eng., Fac. of Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt.

³ Graduate Student of Agric. Eng., Fac. of Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt.

10.21608/mjae.2011.102599

Abstract

The performance of a rear-mounted reciprocating mower was evaluated during cutting two different crop residues, corn and cotton. Some operating parameters were studied in order to select the proper system for cutting crops (optimum forward speed and optimum stalk moisture content). The performance of the reciprocating mower in terms of field efficiency, cutting efficiency, fuel requirements and cutting cost were investigated as a function of change in forward speed, kinematic parameter (ratio of knife peripheral to forward speed) and stalk moisture content. The experimental results revealed that the use of reciprocating mower with maximum cutting efficiency, minimum fuel consumption, energy requirements and criterion cost was achieved under the following conditions: the operating kinematic parameters of 3.6 and 4.3 which corresponded to forward speeds of 4.2 and 4.5 km/h, and knife velocities of 15.12 and 19.44 km/h. The cutting heights of 3.4 and 4.8 cm with stalk moisture contents of 42.19 and 32.11 %, (w. b.) for corn and cotton respectively.

Main Subjects

Agricultural Power and Machinery Engineering

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