Abstract
Previous studies have shown that cutting speed and blade configurations play a critical role in crop harvesting. Laboratory cutting studies showed that optimization of cutting speed and blade oblique angle resulted in considerable savings in cutting energy. This study investigated the effect of cutting speed, blade oblique angle, and blade fixture in a field setting. To investigate their effect on miscanthus harvesting power consumption a single disk cutter head platform was developed. It has the provisions to adjust cutting parameters and was instrumented to measure force on push bar, torque, cutting speed, and GPS data. The cutting energy was determined at three cutting speeds (31.5 m s-1, 47.3 m s-1, 63.0 m s-1), three oblique angles (0°, 30°, 40°), and two blade fixtures (fixed, flexible). The differences between the blade fixtures were found to be negligible. A 40° oblique angle operating at 31.5 m s-1 had the lowest energy consumption, averaging 9.1 MJ ha-1. Similarly, a 30° oblique angle consumed 16.9 MJ ha-1 and a straight blade (0°) consumed 23.1 MJ ha-1. The results indicate that the cutting speed and blade oblique angle are directly related to the power requirements and efficiency of miscanthus harvesting machinery. It is expected that the results of this study would help in modifying existing miscanthus harvesters.
Published Version
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