Grass silage thickening technology using centrifugal undirected action vibrator

A vibratory device to thicken silage was designed and tested, experimental research was carried out using the device for thickening chopped mass of red clover and maize. Dependences of grass mass density variation on duration of thickening by the device and dependences of relative grass pressure on vibration frequency have been examined and assessed. The research has showed that during vibratory thickening grass layer thickens intensively for 5-10 min and this vibrator is advisable for thickening grass layers of 0.5-0.6 m thickness. After investigation of dependence of grass thickening and grass comparative pressure on vibration frequency it was established that most effectively vibrator works at 43.96 s-1 frequency. Consequently, it is reasonable to thicken grass using undirected action vibrator at the mentioned frequency or close to it. Experimental research has established that red clover density of 350 kg/m3 can be achieved by centrifugal-undirected action vibrator. That is insufficient density for grass silage. This vibrator is much more efficient for maize thickening when nearly double mass density is achieved. Therefore, this type of vibrator is advisable for thickening of big stems plants such as maize and its mixture with red clover. It was established, that thickening of maize – Caucasian goat’s rue (Galega orientalis Lam.) mix (2:1 ratio) by undirected action vibrator – after 20 min of thickening (2×60 kg) gave 425 kg/m3 and 124 kg/m3 of dry matter density respectively. It is not sufficient density for grass thickening. Such vibrator is much more efficient in thickening maize, it reaches bigger mass density – 730 kg/m3 and 223 kg/m3 of dry matter. On the grounds of the research results it can be stated that the vibratory thickener of investigated design (undirected action vibrator) is reasonable to use in thickening maize and maize-red clover mixture. This vibrator is not suitable for thickening of red clover, Caucasian goat’s rue and maize-Caucasian goat’s rue mixture