Mechanization of melon processing and novel extraction technologies: A short review

The justification of interaction of fruits with the rolling-in device of a combine-harvester for harvesting cucurbit crops

The role of cucurbit crops in the life of man has been studied and presented. The process of interaction between the rolling-in device of a combine-harvester and a fruit, as well as the process of hitting water-melons into different surfaces, have been considered. The diagram of the distribution of velocities when the rolling-in device interacts with a fruit, as well as the area of expansion of plastic deformation as a result of the impact of a fruit, have been presented. The equation of work, which arises when a fruit hits into the rolling-in device, has been considered, the work being decomposed into plastic work of deformation and elastic work of deformation. The work of plastic deformation, which arises when fruits come into collision with a surface, is considered in more detail, the work being decomposed into plastic work of deformation in the volume, which is limited by a spherical segment and a cone. The absolute and allowable velocities after the impact have been theoretically determined and substantiated. The parameters of allowable velocities for the varieties "Crimson sweet" and "Kholodok" have been theoretically found and the confirmation of the theoretical analysis was carried out in experimental research, which was conducted on a laboratory installation for determining the critical speed of impact on fruits of cucurbit crops. The comparison of the theoretical and experimental values of the terminal velocities confirms the credibility of the research.