Abstract
Research Highlights: Forest owners will be able to solve the problem of testing and selection of viable forest seeds on location and save financial, time, and material resources. The possibility of integrating non-destructive quality control and separation functions in a single portable apparatus is extremely promising. The speed of the contemporary optoelectronic grader is limited by the speed of the slowest component—the mechanical system. Background and Objectives: The technological process of forest seed establishment and design of optoelectronic graders is based on a priori mathematical modeling of structural characteristics, taking into account these criteria. Known models of industrial photoseparators are expensive and have a high energy and material consumption not applicable in the field. Laboratory seed analyzers are characterized by a long time exposure, and the overall size and level of climatic performance do not allow them to be used in the field. Consequently, for small amounts of seed treatment, it is necessary to orient the seeds one by one and ensure clear and rapid coordinated actions of optoelectronic and mechanical systems. The main goal of this research is to increase the efficiency of grading forest seeds by patterning the speed of the mobile device. We will answer the following questions. What are effective geometric parameters for the seed pipe? What factors affect the speed of a single seed’s movement? Materials and Methods: This study is based on mathematical modeling, taking into account the basic principles of mechanics, using MatLab software. Results: A mechanical model of a single Scots pine seed’s motion in different zones of the seed pipe is designed, taking into account air resistance. The effective height of the seed pipe, taking into account the response time of optoelectronic grader systems, is determined. Conclusions: The time and speed of single seed movement through grader systems depends on the seed pipe’s height and radius of curvature. Other things being equal, through the use of the same optical scheme with a microprocessor to solve various problems, the compactness of the photodetector scheme allows, if necessary, to upgrade the grader to solve research problems and for use in forestry.
Highlights
Drapalyuk and Novikov point out that “the technology of obtaining seed material with specified qualitative characteristics and technical means for its implementation should ensure the allocation of it at the earliest stage of processing of color-seed races, which are the basis for subsequent separation by quantitative characteristics and obtaining forest crops with improved hereditary properties” [1]
Inventions 2019, 4, 55 trends in the separation of forest seeds are aimed at the use of their spectrometric characteristics [2,3,4,5,6,7,8], for example, properties of the cross-section of seeds visualized during mechanical scarification [9,10]
The aim of the study amounted to modeling the movement of a single seed into the mechanical system of the optoelectronic grader according to the patent [26] developed with the participation of the authors
Summary
Drapalyuk and Novikov point out that “the technology of obtaining seed material with specified qualitative characteristics and technical means for its implementation should ensure the allocation of it at the earliest stage of processing of color-seed races, which are the basis for subsequent separation by quantitative characteristics and obtaining forest crops with improved hereditary properties” [1]. “as a function of seed origin (including level of genetic improvement), seed viability, and nursery performance” [12] have a decisive effect on the success of: (1) long-term storage for operational and gene conservation purposes [11], (2) tree seedling production in forest nurseries [12], (3) direct seeding in the field [13], and especially (4) aerial seeding [14]. One of the usual practices in seed processing prior to sowing or storage is seed grading in terms of size. This technique, aiming to reach a certain level of seed size uniformity, which is required for efficient mechanical sowing, is usually done by sieve graders. Since the effect of both seed size and seed-coat color on the performance of Scots pine seedlings is well documented [17,18], it is more expedient to use an optical criterion for seed grading
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
