CONCEPTUAL BASES OF COMBINE CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE: TYPE INDICATORS AND STRUCTURE OF BASIC MODELS

The research is aimed at increasing the efficiency of grain production by developing the conceptual basis for the development of structures and production of basic models of harvesters based on a three-drum threshing system. The research methods were based on the principles of structural-system analysis and synthesis of grain production systems. Agrotechnical and economic contradictions of grain harvesting technologies with laying of non-grain part of harvest in rolls are noted. The cost of fuel, funds and labor for harvesting of non-grain part is several times higher than the cost of harvesting grain. There is a contradiction in improving the efficiency of harvesting bread due to increased productivity of the thresher. Such dependence complicates efforts to minimize the economic performance of the process, energy consumption, negative impact on soil and the environment. It is noted that grain production remains costly due to excessive use of limited natural resources. Contradictions of incompatibility of economically conditioned methods of grain threshing with combines with high technical level and correspondingly high cost are established. It is advisable to focus on reducing the cost of combines, the service life of their mobile thresher, energy consumption, development of new principles and methods of threshing, full automation and robotization of technological processes. Conceptual bases of grain harvester development in Ukraine on the basis of basic models of mobile threshers with a throughput in ranges of 1.5 kg/s, 3–6 kg/s, 6–15 kg/s and 15–25 kg/s are developed.