Determining design parameters of disk working bodies for overcompacted soils

This study investigates the process of interaction between spherical disk working bodies and the soil environment. The task addressed is to establish a relationship between the generalized indicators and structural parameters of the disk working bodies (disk diameter, sphere radius, number of cutouts on the disk) at an angle of attack of the disk section of 20° and a speed of movement of 7–8 km/h. The generalized parameters include the specific load on the disk, the stability of the movement of the working bodies according to the depth of cultivation, and the indicator of soil crumbling quality. The minimum specific traction resistance of the disks can be obtained with a disk diameter of 380 mm, a disk sphere radius of 682 mm, and a number of cutouts on the disk of 10 pcs. Stabilization of the disk movement according to the depth of cultivation without an additional increase in the specific load on it leads to a significant improvement in both energy and quality indicators of the operation of the disk working bodies. The minimum root mean square deviation of the soil cultivation depth is achieved with a disk diameter of 380 mm, a disk sphere radius of 626 mm, and a number of cutouts on the disk of 10 pcs. The indicator of soil loosening quality is determined by the stability of the disk movement along the cultivation depth. In this case, the disk is held at the technological cultivation depth, and most of its spherical surface, which is immersed in the soil environment, takes part in soil loosening. That is, stable disk movement along the set cultivation depth provides maximum soil loosening, which can be obtained with a disk diameter of 524 mm, a disk sphere radius of 710 mm, and a number of cutouts on the disk of 10 pcs. The practical significance of the results is that they could be used to design disks for specific operating conditions. In this case, the ratio of the disk radius to its diameter (R/D) determines the disk's ability to work under specific soil conditions