Base Cutting Energy Consumption for Sugarcane Stools Using Contra-Rotating Basecutters

HighlightsThis study focused on the base cutting energy consumption for sugarcane stools instead of single stalks, thus being more consistent with actual field harvesting.The energy consumption increased with increasing rotational speed (RS) and stool diameter (SD), while it decreased with increasing tilt angle (TA) and feed rate (FR).Each pair of levels of each factor was compared using Duncan’s multiple range test. Three factors (RS, SD, and FR) had significant effects on energy consumption at 95% confidence level, while one factor (TA) had no significant effect.The order of influence and the optimal combination of the four factors to minimize the energy consumed during base cutting were determined.Abstract. Previous studies on contra-rotating basecutter designs based on supported cutting have mainly focused on the base cutting energy consumption for single sugarcane stalks instead of sugarcane stools. However, in the actual base cutting process, a basecutter typically cuts multiple sugarcane stalks (in one sugarcane stool) simultaneously. Therefore, this study investigated how the rotational speed (RS) and tilt angle (TA) of the cutting discs, the sugarcane stool diameter (SD), and the feed rate (FR) affected the energy consumed when cutting cane stools using a contra-rotating cutting platform. Four single-factor experiments and an orthogonal experiment were performed using a Taguchi orthogonal experimental design, and each group was replicated five times. The results of the single-factor experiments showed that the energy consumption was proportional to RS and SD, while it was negatively correlated with TA and FR. The significance of the difference between each pair of levels of each factor was investigated using Duncan’s multiple range test. According to the results of the orthogonal experiment, RS, SD, and FR had significant influences on the base cutting energy consumption at the 95% confidence level; however, TA had no significant influence. The order of influence of the four factors was SD > FR > RS > TA (18.45 > 18.39 > 12.91 > 9.06), and the optimal factor-level combination for minimizing the cutting energy was RS2, TA4, SD1, and FR3 (200 rpm disc RS, 20° disc TA, 60 mm SD, and 1.0 m s-1 FR). An understanding of the relationships between energy consumption and its influencing factors can serve as a valuable reference for researchers seeking to optimize the design of contra-rotating basecutters, which could lead to increased energy efficiency and a reduction in energy consumption during sugarcane harvesting. Keywords: Contra-rotating basecutter, Energy consumption, Orthogonal experiment, Single-factor experiment, Sugarcane stools, Supported cutting.