Design of an electronically controlled cotton topping machine

In this study, it is aimed to develop a two-row cotton top cutting machine prototype and a control system that can instantly detect the plant height and automatically adjust the desired cutting height to be adapted to this machine. In the preliminary studies, the physico-mechanical properties of the cutting process of cotton top shoots were investigated. An attachment was designed so that the two-row prototype machine can be attached to the front of the tractor. Rotating cutting blades are driven by hydro-motors, and the up-down movement of the unit carrying each blade is provided by hydraulic cylinders. The solid modeling of the mechanical system was done using SolidWorks, and the circuit design of the hydraulic system was made using FluidSim software. In order to measure and monitor changing plant heights in a cost-effective and practical way, Arduino microcontroller and distance sensors were used and the Plant Height Control System (BIYKOS) was developed. BIYKOS was developed to cut the plant from a distance of 5-15 cm from the top. The operation of the hydro-mechanical system was carried out in a cotton field in the first year trials, and the trials of the automatic height control system were carried out in a sunflower field in the second year. In the first year trials, cutting experiments were carried out with blade and fishing line at different feed rates and blade rotation speeds, and the effects of the trial subjects on the yield and quality parameters of cotton, and the physico-mechanical properties of the cotton crown against shearing were investigated. In the second year trials, the cutting rate of the automatic height control system was determined at different ground speeds and fixed rotational cutting speed. In order to determine the cutting rate, instant time, plant height and blade height measurements were made and the ratio of cut plant shoots was analyzed. It was found that the algorithm of the control system was functional in field conditions. Before and after the experiment, the height of the plants was measured and the average cutting success of all tests was determined to be 73%. The highest cutting rate was calculated as 76% at a ground speed of 5.62 km/h. It is recommended to use different sensors and sensor configurations to increase the cutting success of the system.