Selection of operating modes of tillage implement with ring working tools by criteria of quality and energy inputs

Improving the tillage methods, machines and equipment to increase their efficiency is an urgent task. Tillage implements should provide high-quality tillage, save energy and improve the yielding capacity of cultivated crops. The study purpose was to obtain the experimental data, which would reveal the variation patterns of energy parameters and agrotechnical indicators of the tillage implement operation, and to identify the rational operation modes under specific operating environment. The study object was the developed tillage implement with ring working tools PM-2/DK for pre-seeding tillage. The study subject was to obtain the variation patterns in energy and agrotechnical indicators of the designed modification of the tillage implement with the ring working tools teamed with MTZ-920 tractor. The study used the modern methods of theory and experimentation to identify the main quality indicators of the technological process of surface tillage, as well as to determine the energy parameters of the machine, to generalize them, and to analyze the experimental data obtained. The variation patterns of energy and agrotechnical indicators were revealed, the rational operation modes of the tillage implement were justified, namely, working speed V=2.8-3.3 m/s; installation angle of the ring working tools α=15-22°; energy inputs of the technological process Ei = 373.80-431.18 MJ/ha.