Investigation of Structure of Technology Cycle Time of Hydraulic Manipulators in the Process of Loading Forwarders with Logs

In the practice of using cut-to-length technology, hydraulic manipulators are widely used. Understanding manipulator cycle is important for improving existing logging technologies and developing new machine designs. The paper analyzes structure of technological cycle and operating time of manipulator in the process of loading forwarder on skid trails. Twenty-one loading processes were investigated. In the structure of technological cycle, the following elements were considered: empty movements, loaded movements, movements of manipulator links when performing operations inside load space of forwarder and special techniques such as re-grabbing logs and pulling of an incompletely closed log grip through the logs when the ends of the grabbed logs tilt and abut against the ground used during loading movement. Statistical processing of data showed that median values of samples consisting of time intervals of empty movements are in trange from 3.8 to 6 seconds, the median of samples of loaded movements is 6–16 seconds and median of samples of a pair of movements 5–9 seconds. With a 95% degree of probability, under the studied production conditions, the time of one loaded movement falls within the range of 4–14 seconds; one empty movement – in the range of 3–7 seconds. Total time of empty movements takes a share from 20 to 45% of the total loading time (on average 30%), the total time of loading movements is from 51 to 72% (on average 63%), the time of operations inside the load space is from 0 to 18% (on average 7%). Time of loaded movements, including use of special techniques, is from 13% to 64% of total time of loaded movements (or 10–53% of total number of loaded movements). The time, consisting of a pair of movements: empty and loaded, is somewhat influenced by forwarder size. Duration of one loaded movement is significantly affected by use of special techniques by the operator. Number and duration of loaded movements with these techniques is significantly influenced by: average size of loaded assortments and number of assortments carried in the grapple during one loaded movement. No significant influence of average size of assortments, number of assortments in grapple and size of the machine on empty movements was found. However, some influence on empty movements of number of loaded movements performed from one forwarder parking lot was observed. Duration and frequency of operations within the load space are weakly correlated with the size of assortments and forwarder size

Influence of Stump-Root System of Trees on Rut Formation During Forwarder Operation on Peat Soils

To explain the soil deformation processes under the influence of logging machines, average values of various indicators are often used. One of these indicators is the rut depth formed during tractor passages. The average values do not fully describe the consequences of passages on the skidding trails, for example, the rut depth varies along the track. This variability includes both random and regular components. The stump-root systems of trees located on the skidding trail and along its border act as a factor that introduces a pattern. To determine the degree of influence of stumps on 8 sections of skidding trails with the length of 25 and 50 m, located on peat soils (the average mass fraction of water is 82.3%), the rut depth was measured at intervals of 0.5 m and the locations of stumps were noted. The resulting arrays of vertical marks represent the microprofiles of the experimental sections. Measurements were taken after 2 harvester passages and 2 forwarder passages. The stumps were divided into two groups: located inside the tractor track and outside it. Statistical processing of the data showed a wide spread of the rut dimensions in each array. Average values at the sections (standard deviations) in cm were: 21.6(17.7); 30.6(21.6); 37.7(22.7); 46(20.3); 36.4(15.0); 36(15.4); 30.6(21.0); 34(21.0). The autocorrelation functions, constructed for the series of values, showed surges with moderate correlation coefficients on the lags where stumps were noted. An increase in stumps per a length unit of the skidding trail shows an increase in the number of such surges. A decrease in the rut dimensions, in relation to the places where the influence of the roots was absent, averaged: in points 0.5 m away from the stump – 44% (22.6); 1 m away – 32% (20.4); 1.5 m away – 22% (14.2). The spatial influence factor of the roots explains 21% of the variability of the rut dimensions along the skidding trail. The factor of the stump location relative to the track is 19%. The combined influence of these factors is 25%. Further identification of regularities in the rut formation processes is associated both with the continuation of studies of the root system influence, but with the inclusion of factors of the stump size and variety, and with the study of the variability of the soil physical properties along the skidding trails, analysing how this is found in the microprofile structure

Individual and synergistic effects of modifications of the carrier medium of carbon-containing slurries on the viscosity and sedimentation stability

The study is devoted to revealing the individual and synergistic effects of modifications of the carrier medium of the coal-water slurries (CWS) based on coking coal and carbon-containing flotation wastes of this coal on the effective viscosity and sedimentation stability. Synthetic and natural wetting agents as well as liquid solvents (alcohol, oil, conventional liquid fuel, methyl ethers) and solid organic compounds exemplified by sawdust are used for this. The relationships between the effective viscosity, water separation ratio, and zeta potential for the CWS with the separate addition of a wetting agent and a solvent is established. The categories of fuel compositions are identified according to the “stability” criterion. The synergistic effect of the additions of a wetting agent and a solvent on the sedimentation stability and effective viscosity is demonstrated. The physicochemical model of interaction between the solid particles and the additives in CWSs is proposed

Secondary atomization of a biodiesel micro-emulsion fuel droplet colliding with a heated wall

Using high-speed video recording, we establish the following regimes of hydrodynami

Water Droplet With Carbon Particles Moving Through High-Temperature Gases

An experimental investigation was carried out on the influence of solid inclusions (nonmetallic particles with sizes from a few tens to hundreds of micrometers) on water droplet evaporation during motion through high-temperature gases (more than 1000 K). Optical methods for diagnostics of two-phase (gas and vapor-liquid) flows (particle image velocimetry (PIV) and interferometric particle imaging (IPI)) were used. It was established that introducing foreign solid particles into the water droplets intensifies evaporation rate in high-temperature gas severalfold. Dependence of liquid evaporation on sizes and concentration of solid inclusion were obtained

Biodiesel from rapeseed and sunflower oil: Effect of the transesterification conditions and oxidation stability

In this study, we produced biodiesel fuel from two vegetal sources, rapeseed oil and sunflower oil, by transesterification reaction. The study aims to evaluate the impact of type of alcohol, its concentration and the reaction time, while keeping constant the temperature and the catalyst on the yield and quality of the biodiesel. For alcohol, methanol and ethanol were used at a molar ratio with the oil from 3 to 24. Transesterification was performed at various reaction times; 20, 40, 60 and 90 min for each oil and defined alcohol:oil molar ratio. The influence of these parameters on the biodiesel yield and properties were investigated in terms of density, viscosity, heating value, flash point, elemental content, density and oxidative stability of the final product. The benefit of oxidation stabilizers, catechol and 4-allyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol was investigated. Results demonstrate that for rapeseed oil, the optimum reaction conditions to obtain a higher yield and quality of biodiesel were an alcohol:oil molar ratio of 15:1, with 60-min reaction time at 50 degrees C; while in the case of sunflower oil, the best yield and biodiesel quality were at an 18:1 molar ratio, with a 40-min reaction time and at 50 degrees C. In both cases, methanol provides the highest yields of biodiesel, and the obtained products satisfy the required standards and present a similarity with mineral diesel tested in same conditions.Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Minobrnauka: 075-03-2021-287/6, WSWW-2020-0011Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation [075-03-2021-287/6]; Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation: Science [WSWW-2020-0011

Evaporation of water droplets with metallic inclusions

The dynamics of non-axisymmetric evaporating droplet with metallic inclusions heated in a high-temperature gas flow are experimentally studied. The type of metallic inclusion is found to play a critical role in the transient flow dynamics and associated heat transfer. Experiments were conducted with eight metals and alloys currently used in industrial applications. High-speed recording (up to 102–104 frames per second) allowed measuring lifetimes of water droplets with different metallic inclusions (1 mm or 2 mm in size) when increasing the gas temperature from ∼300 K up to about 900 K. We propose a candidate mechanism of evaporation that explains the differences between measured droplet lifetimes in the performed tests. Furthermore, the conditions to provide the most effective cooling are determined. They are based on the balance equations taking into account warm-up times of inclusions and the ratio between the latent heat of vaporization of water, the energy used to heat up water and the metallic particles.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Destruction of low-temperature insulation under the condition of periodic duty

The numerical investigation of thermal stresses within low-temperature insulation covering cryogenic pipelines and the numerical probability analysis of low-temperature insulation destruction under the condition of periodic duty were carried out. The minimal longevity values for foamed polyurethane and mineral cotton were established. The results of longevity analysis for foamed polyurethane and mineral cotton under the condition of environment temperature variation were obtained

Destruction of low-temperature insulation under the condition of periodic duty

The numerical investigation of thermal stresses within low-temperature insulation covering cryogenic pipelines and the numerical probability analysis of low-temperature insulation destruction under the condition of periodic duty were carried out. The minimal longevity values for foamed polyurethane and mineral cotton were established. The results of longevity analysis for foamed polyurethane and mineral cotton under the condition of environment temperature variation were obtained