Abstract
Sugar beet is an extensive crop of great agronomic value with significant productive and economic returns and Ukraine’s sugar beet accounts for about 5.1% of the overall world production. Sugar beets and the by-products resulting from its manufacturing transformation are a significant renewable energy resource. A new high-quality performance prototype of a sugar beet top harvester, front mounted on a tractor, was built by the authors in Ukraine. The aim of this study is to evaluate the main performance parameters related to the operation of this new machine. Field tests were carried out linking the prototype to a wheel tractor, whilst suitable sensors measured the significant kinematic and dynamic parameters, allowing experimental data collection to assess the machine’s performance parameters. The entire technological process of harvesting and transporting the beet tops to the beet top storage unit required power ranging from 6.42 to 17.65 kW. At the topmost tested forward speed, the required tractor traction force was less than 1.9 kN with the power required by the shaft that drives the screw conveyor ranging from 3.1 to 4.6 kW. This value was the lowest for a speed of the tractor–beet top harvesting machine aggregate ranging from 0.9 to 1.2 m · s − 1 .
Highlights
World sugar beet production amounts to approximately 2.75·108 ton with a devoted area of2.7·108 m2 [1]
Cultivation systems and material inputs must be adjusted according to the climate and soil characteristics, taking into account that the quality of the beet deeply affects the operative efficiency of the process carried out inside a sugar beet factory
The new front-mounted beet topper machine analyzed in this study is able to process three-rows of beets simultaneously, under conditions of high quality performance of the technological process
Summary
World sugar beet production amounts to approximately 2.75·108 ton with a devoted area of2.7·108 m2 [1]. It should be mentioned that beet and sugar production regulation within the EU is based on the Common Market Organization (CMO) and that, in 2006, the CMO was completely amended, leading to a strong reduction in EU sugar production [2]. Some countries such as France and Germany, considered more suited to beet production and more efficient from an industrial point of view, have been little affected by the changes, whereas others such as Italy have suffered significant consequences. At the time active in the sector with 19 sugar industries and approximately 1.4·109 m2 of beet-cultivated area, after the reform gradually reduced their industrial
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