Justification of the design parameters of the blade of the rotary working body of the solid fertilizer spreader

BACKGROUND: Organic, mineral and organomineral fertilizers in both granular and powder form are used in agricultural production in order to increase of soil fertility significantly, as well as to replenish soil reserves of micro-, meso- and macroelements. For fertilizer screening on a surface of a field, agricultural producers use machines with centrifugal-type working bodies which have horizontal or vertical rotation axis. In pursuance of the task of reducing the shift time consumption, a number of researchers find it reasonable to use a low-frame design of the machine to make direct loading of it from the dump truck body possible. For machines, having such design, rotary spreading working bodies with blades on a horizontal rotation axis are the most suitable. AIMS: The article is concerned with the justification of the design parameters of the blades of the rotary spreading working body of the low-frame body spreader of solid mineral and organomineral fertilizers. METHODS: The length of the working surface of the rotor blade with a horizontal rotation axis is justified theoretically for the most uniform distribution of solid fertilizers. An example of calculating the length of the blade of such a device based on the previously established overall dimensions of the spreader is given. RESULTS: On the basis of experimental data, the expediency of using trough-shaped blades with a length of 110 mm was confirmed. The most effective design parameters of the dimensions of the rotor blades for screening fertilizers were established, taking into account the reduction of possible options for fertilizer granules crushing by means of preventing their recirculation inside the rotor casing. The relevance of research of devices with rotary working bodies on horizontal axes of rotation is argued. CONCLUSIONS: Possible prospects for future research and the possibility of further improvement of the low-frame granular fertilizer spreader are proposed.