Studies of the process of levelling of rice mass in feederhouse of a combine harvester

Uneven distribution of rice mass fed into a threshing apparatus is one of the main causes of downgraded performance of a combine harvester during rice harvesting. One of the possible solutions is fitting V-shaped corrugation profiles at varying intervals on the bottom of the feederhouse. Intervals between the corrugations are smaller at the entry part of the feederhouse than at the end. This ensures smoother and more even distribution of flow of high-yield (above 5 t/ha), higher humidity (over 30%) and entangled biomass of rice along the width of feederhouse and, consequently, along the width of threshing apparatus. Our studies have shown that the levelling ratio depends on the amount of the rice mass fed into the feederhouse. The presented dependences support the sensitivity of the levelling tool to overloads. For example, increasing the feed rate of rice biomass from 3.4 kg/s to 5.5 kg/s results in the increase of the levelling ratio from 43% to 67%, where the levelling tool is not used; and from 62% to 75%, where the work tool is used. The levelling ratio is also influenced by physical-mechanical properties of rice, as well as its humidity. In case of increase of humidity from 20% to 55%, i.e. 2.8 times, the levelling ratio has increased from 53% to 70%, or 1.3 times, where the levelling tool has been used; and from 42% to 54%, or 1.2 times, where the levelling tool is not used. The levelling ratio of rice mass is considerably less dependent on humidity than on the feed rateVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij