scholarly journals Impact of Number of Operators and Distance to Branch Piles on Woodchipper Operation

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Łukasz Warguła ◽  
Mateusz Kukla ◽  
Piotr Krawiec ◽  
Bartosz Wieczorek

Branch chipping machines with low-power engines are distinguished with an intermittent operation due to a periodical supply of branches. A conventional drive speed control of these machines is not adapted to adjust the operating mode depending on frequency of material supply for shredding. This article discusses the issues related to the assessment of the application of adaptive systems similar in design to start–stop systems used in vehicles, as necessary in the driving of this type machine. During testing, an impact of a distance between a branch pile from the woodchipper, a number of operators on frequency of drive unit operating condition changes, and the mass and volume output (productivity) were considered. A percentage ratio of the active and passive (idle) operation in selected conditions of use was also determined. A low-power 9.5 kW engine-powered cylindrical-type woodchipper was used for testing. Material chopped in the chipper was freshly cut branches of oaks (Quercus L. Sp. Pl. 994. 1753) with a diameter in the largest cross-section ca. 80 mm and moisture content ca. 25%. Piles of branches were located at three different distances from the chipper, i.e., 3 m, 9 m and 15 m. Branches to the chipper were fed by one or two operators. It was demonstrated that the idle run time in tested conditions with one operator could be from 43% to 71% of the entire operating time. Frequency of operating condition changes when only one operator worked and fluctuated from ca. 6 to 2 times per minute. Increasing the number of operators from one to two had a slight impact on the frequency of operating condition changes (by ca. 7%) at the shortest distance from the chipper (3 m). However, at larger distances, the additional operator may increase the frequency of operating condition changes of the chipper by 77% for 9 m distance and 85% for 15 m distance. The mass and volumetric output of the cylindrical chipper in the most advantageous case is equal to 0.66 t/h and 3.5 m3/h, respectively. The increase of the branch pile distance from the chipper causes a drop in mass output by 32%, and volumetric output by 33.5%. The results of the tests confirmed the necessity for the development of low-power chipping machines designed for clearing operations rather than industrial production of biomass. A direction for development could be systems that adapt driving units to operating conditions, depending on a demand for the chipping process.

Author(s):  
Larysa Bodnar ◽  
Petro Koval ◽  
Sergii Stepanov ◽  
Liudmyla Panibratets

A significant part of Ukrainian bridges on public roads is operated for more than 30 years (94 %). At the same time, the traffic volume and the weight of vehicles has increased significantly. Insufficient level of bridges maintenance funding leads to the deterioration of their technical state. The ways to ensure reliable and safe operation of bridges are considered. The procedure for determining the predicted operational status of the elements and the bridge in general, which has a scientific novelty, is proposed. In the software complex, Analytical Expert Bridges Management System (AESUM), is a function that allows tracking the changes in the operational status of bridges both in Ukraine and in each region separately. The given algorithm of the procedure for determining the predicted state of the bridge using a degradation model is described using the Nassie-Schneidermann diagram. The model of the degradation of the bridge performance which is adopted in Ukraine as a normative one, and the algorithm for its adaptation to the AESUM program complex with the function to ensure the probabilistic predicted operating condition of the bridges in the automatic mode is presented. This makes it possible, even in case of unsatisfactory performance of surveys, to have the predicted lifetime of bridges at the required time. For each bridge element it is possible to determine the residual time of operation that will allow predict the state of the elements of the structure for a certain period of time in the future. Significant interest for specialists calls for the approaches to the development of orientated perspective plans for bridge inspection and monitoring of changes in the operational status of bridges for 2009-2018 in Ukraine. For the analysis of the state of the bridge economy, the information is available on the distribution of bridges by operating state related to the administrative significance of roads, by road categories and by materials of the structures. Determining the operating state of the bridge is an important condition for making the qualified decisions as regards its maintenance. The Analytical Expert Bridges Management System (AESUM) which is implemented in Ukraine, stores the data on the monitoring the status of bridges and performs the necessary procedures to maintain them in a reliable and safe operating condition. An important result of the work is the ability to determine the distribution of bridges on the public roads of Ukraine, according to operating conditions established in the program complex of AESUM, which is presented in accordance with the data of the current year. In conditions of limited funding and in case of unsatisfactory performance of surveys, it is possible to make the reasonable management decisions regarding the repair and the reconstruction of bridges. Keywords: bridge management system, operating condition, predicted operating condition, model of degradation, bridge survey plan, highway bridge.


Author(s):  
O. B. Berdnik ◽  
I. N. Tsareva ◽  
M. K. Chegurov

This article deals with structural features and characteristic changes that affect the mechanical characteristics after different service life in real conditions using the example of the blades of the 4th stage of turbine GTE-45-3 with an operating time of 13,000 to 100,000 hours. To study the change in the state of the material under different operating conditions, determine the degree of influence of heat treatment on the regeneration of the microstructure, and restore the mechanical characteristics of the alloy after different periods of operation, non-standard methods were used: relaxation tests on miniature samples to determine the physical yield strength and microplasticity limit and quantitative evaluation of the plasticity coefficient of the material from experimental values of hardness, which allow us to identify the changes occurring in the microvolumes of the material and predict the performance of the product as a whole.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 555
Author(s):  
Sangkyung Na ◽  
Sanghun Song ◽  
Seunghyuk Lee ◽  
Jehwan Lee ◽  
Hyun Kim ◽  
...  

In this study, evaporator optimization, via both experimental and simulation methods was conducted. To evaluate the evaporator performance, under the optimal system, the compressor operating time and the effects of oil on the refrigerator system were studied. If the temperature of the refrigerator chamber reaches the setting value, the compressor stops working and it leads to the temperature of the refrigerator chamber slowly increasing, due to the heat transfer to the ambient. When the refrigerator temperature is out of the setting range, the compressor works again, and the refrigerator repeats this process until the end of its life. These on/off period can be controlled through the compressor piston movement. To determine the optimal compressor operating conditions, experiments of monthly power consumption were conducted under various compressor working times and the lowest power consumption conditions was determined when the compressor worked continuously. Lubricating oil, the refrigerator system, using oil, also influenced the system performance. To evaluate the effect of oil, oil eliminated and oil systems were compared based on cooling capacity and power consumption. The cooling capacity of the oil eliminated system was 2.6% higher and the power consumption was 3.6% lower than that of the oil system. After determining the optimal operating conditions of the refrigerator system, visualization experiments and simulations were conducted to decide the optimal evaporator and the conventional evaporator size can be reduced by approximately 2.9%.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 884
Author(s):  
Andrzej Borawski

Braking systems have a direct impact on the safety of road users. That is why it is crucial that the performance of brakes be dependable and faultless. Unfortunately, the operating conditions of brakes during their operating time are affected by many variables, which results in changes in their tribological properties. This article presents an attempt to develop a methodology for studying how the operating time affects the value of the coefficient of friction and the abrasive wear factor. The Taguchi method of process optimization was used to plan the experiment, which was based on tests using the ball-cratering method. The results clearly show that the degree of wear affects the properties of the friction material used in the production process of brakes.


Author(s):  
Men Wirz ◽  
Matthew Roesle ◽  
Aldo Steinfeld

Thermal efficiencies of the solar field of two different parabolic trough concentrator (PTC) systems are evaluated for a variety of operating conditions and geographical locations, using a detailed 3D heat transfer model. Results calculated at specific design points are compared to yearly average efficiencies determined using measured direct normal solar irradiance (DNI) data as well as an empirical correlation for DNI. It is shown that the most common choices of operating conditions at which solar field performance is evaluated, such as the equinox or the summer solstice, are inadequate for predicting the yearly average efficiency of the solar field. For a specific system and location, the different design point efficiencies vary significantly and differ by as much as 11.5% from the actual yearly average values. An alternative simple method is presented of determining a representative operating condition for solar fields through weighted averages of the incident solar radiation. For all tested PTC systems and locations, the efficiency of the solar field at the representative operating condition lies within 0.3% of the yearly average efficiency. Thus, with this procedure, it is possible to accurately predict year-round performance of PTC systems using a single design point, while saving computational effort. The importance of the design point is illustrated by an optimization study of the absorber tube diameter, where different choices of operating conditions result in different predicted optimum absorber diameters.


2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 206-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio Valle ◽  
Francesco Diotalevi

2006 ◽  
Vol 324-325 ◽  
pp. 835-838
Author(s):  
Aleš Belšak ◽  
Jože Flašker

A crack in the tooth root, which often leads to failure in gear unit operation, is the most undesirable damage caused to gear units. This article deals with fault analyses of gear units with real damages. Numerical simulations of real operating conditions have been used in relation to the formation of those damages. A laboratory test plant has been used and a possible damage can be identified by monitoring vibrations. The influences of defects of a single-stage gear unit upon the vibrations they produce are presented. Signal analysis has been performed also in concern to a non-stationary signal, using the Time Frequency Analysis tools. Typical spectrograms, which are the result of reactions to damages, are a very reliable indication of the presence of damages.


2017 ◽  
Vol 170 (3) ◽  
pp. 66-72
Author(s):  
Jerzy MERKISZ ◽  
Łukasz RYMANIAK

The article discusses the possibility of determining the environmental indicators for vehicles of different categories in relation to CO2 emissions. These are called toxicity indicators because they concern the compounds: CO, THC and NOx. Three Euro V compliant vehicles with different propulsion systems types were used for the study: a 0.9 dm3 urban passenger car with a SI engine and a start-stop system, a 2.5 dm3 off-road vehicle with a CI engine, and a city bus with a hybrid drive system in series configuration and a CI engine with a displacement of 6.7 dm3. Measurements were made in actual operating conditions in the Poznan agglomeration using a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS). The paper presents the characteristics of the operating time shares of vehicles and propulsion systems as well as CO2 emissions depending on the engine load and crankshaft rotational speed for individual vehicles. The determined toxicity indicators allowed to indicate their usefulness, to make comparisons between tested vehicles, and to identify directions for further work on the application and interpretation of these indicators.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-60
Author(s):  
O. N. Didmanidze ◽  
R. T. Khakimov ◽  
E. P. Parlyuk ◽  
N. A. Bol’shakov

Global car manufacturers wish to increase the number of manufactured products, reduce their cost and labor input. The choice of research areas, design and technological developments in radiator construction is an extremely important and urgent task, due to the mass production of radiators for tractors and automobiles on the one hand, and the favorable development prospects of these interrelated industries, on the other. (Research purpose) To substantiate theoretically and experimentally the use of a combined cooling system containing both aluminum and polymeric water radiators and similarly liquid-oil heat exchangers based on the four principles listed above on automobiles and tractors. (Materials and methods) The authors performed bench tests using a special wind tunnel to study the thermal and aerodynamic characteristics of a prototype tractor radiator with a polyurethane core. After reaching the steady-state operating mode of the installation, the experimental values were determined for the control and measuring instruments. (Results and discussion) The authors carried out measurements of all parameters of both coolants in series at each steady-state operating mode of the bench. They obtained the main indicators dependences (reduced heat transfer, aerodynamic and hydraulic drag) of the heat exchanger, close to the operating conditions of the vehicles. (Conclusions) A prototype MTZ-80 radiator with a polyurethane core has great prospects as a future alternative radiator. An increase by 10-15 percent in the radiator heat transfer is possible by using aluminum fi ns on the surface of the polyurethane plate. A 15-20 percent reduction in hydrodynamic resistance is achieved by increasing the diameter of the capillary throughput in a polyurethane plate and the number of plates themselves in the radiator cell.


2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 50-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Grinevich ◽  
Vl. Nikishin ◽  
N. Mozga ◽  
M. Laitans

Abstract The paper deals with the possibilities of reducing the consumption of electrical energy of the impact screwdriver during the assembly of fixed threaded joints. The recommendations related to a decrease in electrical energy consumption would allow reducing product costs but so far there have been no such recommendations from the producers of the tool as to the effective operating regimes of the impact screwdrivers in relation to electrical energy consumption and necessary tightening moment of the nut. The aim of the study is to find out the economical operating mode of the electrical impact screwdriver when assembling fixed threaded joints. By varying the set speed of the rotor head and working time of the impact mechanism, there is an opportunity to determine electrical energy consumption of the tool for the given tightening moment. The results of the experiment show that at the same tightening moment obtained the electrical energy consumption of the impact screwdriver is less at a higher starting set speed of the rotor head but shorter operating time of the impact mechanism than at a lower speed of the rotor head and longer operating time of the impact mechanism.


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