Experimental Research on Influence Factors of the Sugarcane Ratoon Cutting Quality Under Vibration Conditions

Abstract

Aimed at improving the sugarcane ratoon cutting quality of sugarcane harvesters for hilly areas, a sugarcane harvester experiment platform was developed. During sugarcane cutting experiments, flaws may appear in sugarcane ratoons. The flaw number, thickness and length were measured. An experiment index, y was introduced as the comprehensive cutting quality evaluating value of the sugarcane ratoon cutting quality by the improved entropy method with these three parameters. A regressive mathematical model was set up by orthogonal experiments and to study effects of the vibration frequency, the vibration amplitude, the cutter rotating velocity, the sugarcane feeding velocity and the cutter installing angle on the sugarcane ratoon cutting quality. It is shown in experiments that there is a strong linear relationship among y, vibration amplitude and frequency and the amplitude as well as frequency had great effects on y while the moving velocity, the cutter rotating velocity and the cutter installing angle had relatively less significant effects on y. According to the fact whether the effect on y is significant, the significance order is as follows, the vibration amplitude, frequency, the sugarcane feeding velocity, the cutter rotating velocity and the cutter installing angle. Interaction between the vibration amplitude and frequency and that between the amplitude and the cutter rotating velocity also have effects on y. In details, the greater the vibration amplitude and frequency are, the greater y will be, which means the worse the sugarcane ratoon cutting quality will be. The greater the vibration amplitude and the cutter rotating velocity are, the greater y will be. This research was done to study the effect mechanism of the sugarcane ratoon cutting quality and lay the foundation of design and development of sugarcane harvesters with a high sugarcane ratoon cutting quality for hilly areas.