Plastic mulch provides a range of benefits including helping modulate soil temperature, reduce soil erosion, evaporation, fertilizer leaching and weed problems and increasing the quality and yields of the product. But when the crops are harvested, plastic mulch needs to be removed from the ground for disposal. Otherwise, these wastes are mixed with the soil and have a negative impact on yields by reducing the access of nutrients and moisture in the soil. The purpose of the current study is, therefore, to propose a roller for plastic mulch retriever which is applicable when the crops are harvested, and the plastic mulch needs to be removed from the ground for disposal. The winding mechanism of the plastic mulch retriever performs the main function and must have the high-quality performance of the winding operation in the removal technology. Research based on requirements of tensile strength test method and changes of strength characteristics of plastic mulch from various factors under natural conditions. The coefficient of compaction of the used plastic mulch (Krel), was the ratio of the diameter of the standard plastic mulch which was wound in the factory to the diameter of the used plastic mulch during the winding.

This study presents the development and evaluation of a stand-alone solar dryer designed to improve the efficiency of bee bread dehydration. Unlike the electric prototype powered by conventional energy sources, the proposed system operates autonomously, utilizing solar energy as the primary drying agent. The drying chamber is equipped with solar collectors located in its lower section, which ensure convective heating of the product. Active convection is generated by a set of fans powered by photovoltaic panels, maintaining the drying agent’s temperature near 42 °C. The research methodology integrates both numerical simulation and experimental investigation. Simulations focus on the variations in temperature (288–315 K) and relative humidity (1–1.5%) within the honeycomb structure under convective airflow. Experimental trials examine the relationship between moisture content and variables such as bee bread mass, airflow rate, number of frames (5–11 units), and drying time (2–11 h). A statistically grounded analysis based on an experimental design method was conducted, revealing a reduction in moisture content from 16.2–18.26% to 14.1–15.1% under optimized conditions. Linear regression models were derived to describe these dependencies. A comparative assessment using enthalpy–humidity (I–d) diagrams demonstrated the enhanced drying performance of the solar dryer, which is attributed to its cyclic operation mode. The results confirm the potential of the developed system for sustainable and energy-efficient drying of bee bread in decentralized conditions.

Солнечная энергия считается перспективным направлением для экологически устойчивой термической обработки биологических материалов. Для региона г. Алматы, характеризующегося высоким уровнем солнечной радиации (1400–1600 кВт·ч/м² в год), применение солнечных сушильных установок рассматривается как эффективное решение для сушки продуктов пчеловодства, в частности перги, требующей мягкого температурного режима для сохранения питательной ценности. Целью исследования являлась оценка солнечного потенциала региона, определение коэффициента светопропускания полимерной плёнки гелиосушилки и анализ её влияния на эффективность сушки. В работе представлены результаты исследования солнечной облучённости при сушке перговых гранул в солнечной сушилке. Измерения проводились пиранометром GSM/O-120 на открытом участке и внутри сушильной камеры, покрытой светопрозрачной полимерной плёнкой. Оценено светопропускание плёнки и её влияние на эффективность сушки и показано снижение облученности внутри камеры и позволили рассчитать энергетические потери. В результате получено влияние солнечного излучения на режимы сушки перги, определяя длительность процесса, конечную влажность и сохранность питательных веществ. Полученные данные способствуют оптимизации конструкции гелиосушилки и выбору материалов для эффективной сушки продуктов пчеловодства. Ключевые слова: солнечная радиация, гелиосушка, облученность, пиранометр GSM/O-120, измерение излучения, пчелиная перга.

Увеличение срока хранения бахчевых культур является актуальной задачей в перерабатывающей промышленности. Производство консервированных продуктов позволяет значительно сократить потери сельскохозяйственного сырья, обеспечить круглогодичное снабжение населения плодоовощной продукцией в широком ассортименте. Задача консервирования – перевод нестойкого сырья в продукцию длительного хранения. Из продуктов переработки плодов дыни в настоящее время преобладает в основном вяленая дыня. В период удаления влаги из сырья основными факторами являются температура сушки, время выдержкии толщина долек мякоти плодов дыни. В данной работе исследуется влагосодержание мякоти плодов дыни при сушке от различных факторов методом планирования эксперимента в лабораторных установках. Поскольку интервал варьирования имеет небольшой отрезок факторов изменение влагосодержания материалов при апроксимации имеет линейный характер. Среди выбранных факторов температура влияет более эффктивно по сравнению с толщиной ломтиков и времени выдержки. Однако температурный режим сушки ограничивается по верхнему пределу из-за образования слоя корки, которая воздействует перемещения влаги. Построенную модель можно перенести при создании промышленного образца сушильной установки, учитывая безразмерные критерий, а так же следует оценить влаговыделение с помощью I-d диаграммы.

This study presents an experimental and numerical investigation of the sealing performance of welded joints in flexible polyethylene containers subjected to external pressure during vacuum compaction of forage material. The objective was to improve the reliability of welded seams under vacuum gauge pressures of up to 75 kPa. A three-dimensional transient heat-conduction model was developed to investigate the thermal behavior of polyethylene film during heat sealing. The governing heat-conduction equation was solved using ANSYS Fluent based on the finite volume method, employing a pressure-based transient solver and first-order implicit time discretization. Temperature distributions and their temporal evolution, T(t), were determined at selected locations within the film. The strength of welded joints in thin polyethylene films subjected to pressure loading of up to 75 kPa was experimentally evaluated as a function of weld-seam width and clamping force at a selected heat-sealing temperature of 175 °C. High-density polyethylene film (PE-180) with a thickness of 200 μm was used to carry out research specimens measuring 100 × 100 mm. The experimental results were analyzed using a design-of-experiments approach, and a regression equation was developed to describe the dependence of welded-joint strength on seam width and clamping force. The combined numerical and experimental findings provide a basis for selecting appropriate heat-sealing parameters to enhance the reliability of welded seams at the neck of flexible polyethylene containers subjected to vacuum-induced loading.

This study presents the results of experimental and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of vacuum compaction of partially dried alfalfa haylage in a flexible hermetic container. The objective was to increase the density of vacuum-packed haylage by flattening the plant material before compaction and to establish rational process parameters that avoid excessive release of plant juice. Laboratory experiments were performed using haylage with a moisture content of 50%. The flexible container was placed in a liquid medium to enable measurement of changes in container volume and haylage compaction. The true density of alfalfa stems at 50% moisture content was determined using a pycnometric method with kerosene as the immersion liquid for subsequent porosity calculations. A mathematical model of haylage compaction in a flexible container was developed to represent the effect of pressure during air removal. Numerical simulations were performed using the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations, the k-ω SST turbulence model, and the SIMPLE algorithm. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) method was used to describe the interaction between the gas phase and the plant material. Two pressure-application configurations were considered: pressure applied to the upper boundary only and pressure applied simultaneously to four boundaries. The results showed that flattening the haylage by passing it between squeezing rollers increased the compacted density by approximately 15–20% compared with the non-flattened material over the 40–80 kPa pressure range. Based on the experimental results, a vacuum level of 70–75 kPa is recommended for compacting pre-flattened haylage, providing substantial densification while avoiding excessive release of plant juice.