Research of biotechnological, physical and mechanical properties and fractional composition of pressed feed bales

Abstract

To develop and optimize the parameters of a compressed feed chopper device, a comprehensive understanding of the biotechnological, physical, and mechanical properties of the processed compressed feed is essential. An experiment was conducted to analyze the fractional composition of compressed straw, alfalfa, and camel thorn. The compressed feed was divided into fractions based on length categories: up to 30 mm, 30-50 mm, and 50 mm. The fractional composition was determined relative to the total mass, and size-mass indicators were analyzed. Results indicated that fractions longer than 50 mm constituted 10.42 kg or 78.2% of the straw bale, with an average mass of 13.3 kg. Fractions in the 30-50 mm range accounted for 2.34 kg or 17.6%, while fractions shorter than 30 mm made up 0.56 kg or 4.2% of the total mass. The average density of the straw bale was calculated to be 83.1 kg/m3. Subsequent experiments revealed the diameter range of stalks for straw (1.5-5.5 mm), alfalfa hay (1.5-4.0 mm), and camel thorn (2-10 mm). Samples of each feed type, ranging from 50 mm to 100 mm in length, were selected for bending and breaking experiments.