Research on compaction of green mass making silage in containers

Silage is one of the main feeds in the diet of cows. The quality of the green mass for silage preparation is highly dependent on weather conditions. The increased humidity of the initial green mass reduces the feed value of the silage. It is possible to eliminate the negative impact of weather conditions by using the developed method of preparing silage in soft vacuumized containers, this will allow to obtain a high nutritional value of the silage, reduce losses during its storage and transportation. Currently, the preparation of silage in soft containers will increase the efficiency of robotic systems for the preparation and distribution of feed mixtures in animal husbandry. Obtaining highquality silage in soft containers depends on the required compaction of the silage mass due to the creation of vacuum pressure in it after sealing the container. The article presents the results of theoretical studies of the silage preparation process in soft vacuum containers. The volume and dimensions of the container for laying the silage mass are substantiated, and a design and technological scheme is proposed for carrying out the processes of dehumidification, compaction and preparation of silage from corn pulp with high humidity. The theoretical dependences of the duration of pumping air out of the container before reaching a given density on the geometric parameters of the container, the technical characteristics of the vacuum pump and the parameters of the pipeline connecting the pump to the container are described. The performance of the vacuum system and the minimum diameter of the pipeline are determined. Graphical dependences of the change in the density of the green silage mass on the vacuuming time and the required pump performance on the vacuum value are presented. The results obtained will be useful for substantiating the parameters when making silage in soft containers.