Abstract
The characteristics of a rolling-compressing wafering machine for grasses, legumes and rice straw were studied, and the following results were obtained.
1. Mixture materials of italian ryegrass and rice straw as well as rice straw and soybean could be wafered.
2. Material from fresh harvest down to 23% moisture contents could be wafered in this experiment. The wafer in high moisture content exhibited difficult problems in drying and storing, and with the moisture contents lower than 30%m. c. wb, (especially legumes) also exhibited losses by breakages of the fibers, and its sulface was loose and rough.
3. Wafer slippage rised at lower moisture contents of 30%, and rolling-compressing was impossible below 20% moisture contents on account of slippage or blockage at the intake, For rolling-compressing at low moisture content ranges, the friction coeffieient between material and rollers had to be enhanced.
4. The alteration of the torsional angle and the rotational speed of the rollers almost had no influe nce on the driving shaft torque, and consequently machine capacity became higher by the increase of the torsional angle and rotational speed of the rollers.
5. Radial force was generally weak and power requirement was low, and in case of italian ryegrass, its specific power was approximately 1.5-3.0 PS-hr per ton at 700kg/m3 and at 49% moisture contents.
6. Wafer durability increased with the increase of wafer density, and the moisture content within the range of 35 to 50% provided good durability.
