Improving the reliability and service life of the pneumatic distributor for distributing feed to cages

¹ Petrosavodsk state University, 33, Lenina st., 185000, Petrozavodsk, Russia
² Institute of agroengineering and environmental problems of agricultural production, 3, Filtrovskoe highway, Tyarlevo settlement, 196625, St. Petersburg, Russia
³ Ivanovo state agricultural academy named after Dmitry Belyaev, 45, Sovetskaya st., 153000, Ivanovo, Russia

^* Corresponding author: tihonov@petrsu.karelia.ru

Abstract

In this paper, we consider effective delivery of feed to fish cages. The rotary feeders design analysis is performed. Their disadvantages are analyzed. Possible ways to improve reliability are identified: rotor balancing, elimination of moving parts in design. The design of the feeder without moving parts is proposed, which provides the required parameters of feed distribution in cages and at the same time has high reliability and almost unlimited service life. To justify the design parameters of the feeder, we developed design factors that affect the feed distribution process (height of the pipe cut, height of the cone position, radius of curvature of the generatrix), and an integral criterion for evaluating the quality of feed distribution. The integral criterion includes an assessment of the effective area of feed distribution in the cage and its uniformity. A numerical multifactor study was performed and the optimal values of design factors were determined with the maximum value of the integral criterion that determines the efficiency of the feed distribution process. Based on the results of processing the obtained data, the high quality of feed distribution in cages and the prospects of the proposed design of the feeder as a whole were determined.