Conceptual Basis for Developing of Electric Plot Combine Harvester with Combined Power-Generating Plant

Introduction. Low level of technical support for breeding works results in a high share of manual labor in the industry, violation of agrotechnical requirements, increased losses of expensive seeds, high production costs that is a constraint of developing domestic breeding and expanded reproduction of seeds. Machine harvesting of cultivated seeds is a most important operation in breeding and seed production. During this operation, a significant amount of energy is expended and a large volume of exhaust gases is released that makes important conducting the studies on improving plot combine harvesters in the direction of improving the quality of harvesting work and energy saving indicators, and of reducing the negative impact on the environment. Aim of the Study. The study is aimed at improving the quality of technological operations, energy efficiency and ecological compatibility of plot combine harvesters by using an automated electric drive and a hybrid power-generating plant with electric energy storage units. Materials and Methods. The object of the study was the technological process of the plot grain combine harvester. The basis of the study was scientific publications on the technologies of machine harvesting of selected grain crops and information materials of the manufacturers of plot combine harvesters. In the process of the study, there were used such methods as system analysis, structural and functional analysis, and synthesis. Results. There was carried out the analysis of machine harvesting technologies, technical characteristics and operating modes of modern plot grain combine harvesters. Based in its results, there were identified the patterns of energy consumption during the performance of the plot combine harvester. There was carried out structural analysis of the plot grain combine harvester and a functional diagram was constructed. In order to increase its energy efficiency, quality of work and reduce the negative environmental impact, there was proposed the use of removable energy modules with an electric drive and of an electric drive for the combine units. There have been developed the recommendations for using the electric drive of the working bodies, options for using various power plants including removable energy modules, and a functional diagram of a plot grain combine harvester with an automated electric drive of the main units powered by a removable energy module. Discussion and Conclusion. The studies contribute to solving the problems of increasing energy and economic efficiency, reducing the negative environmental impact when performing machine harvesting operations in breeding through the use of an integrated power plant. The use of additional electric drive and electric energy buffer storages according to a so-called hybrid scheme, allows reducing the impact of unbalanced loads on the internal-combustion engine performance. These unbalanced loads are caused by the peculiarities of the technological process of harvesting plots, where the loading cycles with pronounced modes of maximum power without going through the transitional modes are replaced by periods of insignificant power consumption. There has been defined a set of tasks for further studying. These tasks include determining the optimal parameters of the removable energy module and electric drive of the main units of the plot combine harvester using the method of mathematical simulation of their energy consumption in various operating modes.