Sugarcane Harvester Technology: A Critical Overview
2014
Ma, Shaochum | Karkee, Manoj | Scharf, Patrick A. | Zhang, Qin
�Harvesting is a crucial component of sugarcane production system. In this article, we critically reviewed harvesting technologies currently being used in commercial sugarcane production. A brief introduction of two harvesting practices were presented (burnt cane harvesting and green cane harvesting) and two harvesting modes (whole stalk harvesting and chopper harvesting) were introduced including a brief discussion on their advantages, limitations, and technical challenges. It is followed by a comprehensive review of two core technologies of current sugarcane harvesters: cane base cutting and feeding mechanisms. The influence of base cutter kinematic and geometric parameters, such as blade cutting velocity, disc tilt angle, blade number, blade oblique angle, and blade shape on harvesting efficiency and cutting quality, were reviewed. Relevant inventions and technologies used to adjust feeding rate, arrange stalks into uniform orientation, and maintain uniform billet lengths were reviewed and summarized. In addition, anti-plugging apparatus used to improve feeding efficiency were discussed. Finally, potential new technologies were recommended for improving the performance and adaptability of sugarcane harvesters.
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