Analysis and development of laboratory pneumatic separators with batch loading of seeds

Abstract

Laboratory pneumatic seed separators used in domestic and foreign seed production are studied. The need to increase the efficiency of seed separation in laboratory pneumatic separators is substantiated. The classification of laboratory pneumatic seed separators with batch loading was developed; detailed analysis of technological processes and structural schemes of the most frequently used laboratory pneumatic seed separators with batch loading was made. In the developed classification, the main feature is the method of air flow formation in pneumatic separation channels. In countries with developed seed production, the most widespread ones are pneumatic seed separators with batch loading with discharge flow. In the Laboratory of the Department of Technological Systems of the Agro-Industrial Complex (Arctic State Agro-Technological University), a pneumatic seed separator with batch loading was developed featuring upper seed loading (without a loading seed cassette). Preliminary experiments were conducted to identify the potential for pneumatic separation of seeds grown in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). It was found that one of the most important technological problems limiting the increase of efficiency, and in particular, the reproducibility of the results of pneumatic separation in pneumatic seed separators with batch loading, was seed hovering in pneumatic channels in large ranges along the height of the channel, and the same kernels may hover in some range of air flow velocity. The basic requirements that pneumatic seed separators with batch loading should meet were substantiated. When processing small volumes of seed samples, high accuracy of pneumatic separation of seed mixtures in pneumatic seed separators with batch loading was achieved in pneumatic channels with smaller diameters. It was found that a promising direction of seed separator with batch loading development was the development of separators that enabled processing seed samples in a continuous flow. Particular attention should be paid to increasing the reproducibility of separation results (at least 80%).