CABALLERO, F. C. C.; CABALLERO, Felipe César Campos.
Abstract:
The present research deals with a design for optimizing an equipment for
distribution of grinded limestone at crop land.
A physical model of one limestone distribution equipment manufactured
by IMAS A with a rated capacity of 3000Kg, has been used for studing and analysing
its distributor mechanisms, considering as analysis parameters the uniformity of
distribution at the strip of deposition of limestone.
Modifications have been introduced into the distribution mechanism of
the IMASA limestone distribution equipment (the modified equipment has been then
called optimized machine or optimized distributor). A conventional limestone
distribution equipment has been used as a source of standard data for analysing and
comparing the efficiency of the optimized machine. In order to test both the
convencional and the optimized machines, field experimentations have been
performed at twelve strips of land (3 by 50 meters) for each machine, loaded with
750, 1500 and 3000Kg of limestone, respectively. The quantities of limestone
distributed by both machines have been collected into numbered containers and
weighed afterwards.
A mathematical model based on the factorial variance analysis has been
adopted as the statistical basis for treating the current research data, which major
parameters are the follwing: the machines, considered as the first factor, and the load
levels considered as the second factor.
The field tests have been conducted at the Iguatemi experimental farm,
which belongs to Universidade Estadual de Maringá - UEM, Paraná.
It has been observed that the limestone distribution equipment desinged and optmized
in the present research work exhibited a better uniformity of distribution and
quantities closer to the specification, as compared with the conventional equipment,
for the load levels investigated here.
