ENGINEERING FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT Jelgava, 29.-30.05.2008. 141 THE SHARE-MOLDBOARD PARAMETERS OF SOME PLOUGH BODIES

Abstract. The main parameters of the plough body that determine the ploughing efficiency are the initial and the final soil slice lifting angles on the share-mouldboard surface, the angle of its horizontal generatrix, the radius of this surface and the working width of the body. Studies have been carried out to determine the share-mouldboard parameters of some contemporary plough bodies: the cultural (digger), semi-helicoidal and helicoidal types. For this purpose profilograms of its share-mouldboard surfaces are made and the values of the investigated parameters measured. The energetic, agronomic and economic characteristics of ploughs were estimated by their testing. As the result of investigations, it was discovered that the optimal values of the main parameters of the bottoms for contemporary ploughs are: the inclination angle of the share towards the furrow bottom – 28…32˚; the inclination angle of the horizontal generatrix towards the furrow wall on the initial part of the share-mouldboard surface – 34…38˚, on the top- not less than 48 ˚ ; the working width of the bottom – 45…50 cm. The conducted investigations show that only those ploughs generally meet the requirements mentioned above which have bodies with gently sloping semi-helicoidal or helicoidal share-mouldboard surfaces, such as the Kverneland plough body No. 8. The use of bodies having optimal parameters allows attaining good ploughing quality, reducing the draft resistance by 12…20 % and raising correspondingly the efficiency, saving fuel and financial resources for ploughing. Key words: plough body parameters, initial lifting angle, final lifting angle, angle of horizontal generatrix, optimal parameters