Abstract:
Pokkali system of rice cultivation is a unique farming under pokkali
ecosystem prevalent exclusively in central Kerala. Harvesting of paddy in pokkali
is to be carried out under stagnated water level which may raise upto five feet.
Hence a research was undertaken to design a suitable cutter header assembly for
the harvester, as other existing harvesting machines can’t be used in pokkali
fields. Existing machines were studied and their drawbacks were identified. Four
different designs of cutter header assembly models were made suiting an existing
amphibian weed harvester (Truxor DM 5045). The four design models were
design I (multiple bat reel system), design II (single bat reel system), design III
(vertical axis reel system) and design IV (floating assembly with projected
conveyor system). Selection of the best model out of these four was carried out by
Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Technique along with Analytical Hierarchy
Process (AHP) as a sub process, statistical analysis with expert ratings on models
and Finite Element Analysis (FEM) on components suspected to failure of the
selected models. All the results were collectively analysed and design II (single
bat reel system) was selected. Also the design I (multiple bat reel system) can be
an alternative as per statistical analysis. The single bat reel type system consists of
single bat reel with elongated tynes. The corrosion resistant standard type
cutterbar is finalized. Other specifications such as position of assembly, material
of construction, dimensions etc were discussed in detail. Further the design,
development and evaluation are suggested on the selected models with reduced
size machine with same features and components as in Truxor DM 5045
(Amphibian weed harvesting machine).
