The aim of the research was to establish the influence of the number and height of blades of a drum mixer on the quality of the prepared mixture of concentrated feed. The research method of the drum mixer provided for the experimental determination of the coefficient of variation (unevenness) of the mixture with a three-level combination of the blades height and their number. The absence of an extremum according to the obtained data required the use of a fourth level of the number of blades. Computer processing of the results made it possible to establish a functional dependence of the influence of design factors on the quality of the mixture. The implementation of the used research methodology for the operation of the drum mixer made it possible to establish an adequate functional dependence of the influence of the number of blades and their height on the quality of the mixture. The number of blades used practically does not affect the coefficient of variation of the content of the control component. The values change less than experimental error. However, existing trends indicate a slight (about 1%) decrease in the coefficient of variation of the mixture with an increase in the number of blades from 2 to 8 pcs. For 50 kg of feed in a drum capacity of 0.26 m3, the height of the blades is about 0.15 m. The increase or decrease in the height to 0.125 m or 0.175 m affects the quality of the mixture, increasing the coefficient of variation from 20.6% to 34-50% at the proportion of the control component of 1% and the mixing time of 200 seconds.

The aim of the research was to establish a functional dependence of the quality of the feed mixture on the degree of filling the volume of the modernized drum mixer and the proportion of the controlled component with the identification of the working area of the investigated working body. The methodology for studying the quality of the mixture of a drum mixer provided for the experimental establishment of the function of changing the coefficient of variation of the concentrated feed mixture with a three-level combination of the degree of filling of the tank and the proportion of the controlled component. The conducted studies based on the developed methodology allowed to identify an adequate functional dependence of the influence of the proportion of the controlled component and the degree of filling of the mixer drum. The results obtained indicate that an increase in the proportion of the controlled component improves the quality of the mixture with the nature of the hyperbolic dependence. Technological requirements for the quality of the mixture are observed when the proportion of the controlled component is at least 17%. This imposes a partial restriction on the use of the mixer for the preparation of dry concentrated mixtures based on protein-vitamin supplements and crushed feed grain. The effect of the degree of filling on the quality of the mixture is more complex and corresponds to a parabolic dependence. With the degree of filling 0.28-0.32 of the volume of the drum, the best indicators of the quality of the mixture are observed. The optimum mixing is observed with a batch mass of 45-51 kg at a density of 620 kg/m3.

The aim of the research was to establish a regression model of the influence of the angles of installation of the wings of the L-shaped blades and to optimize their values. The methodology of the studies provided for the experimental determination of the coefficient of variation of the mixture with subsequent computer processing of the results, establishing the functional dependence of the quality of the mixture on the angles of the wings of the blades, finding the minimum values. The research technique implemented in this work allowed us to determine an adequate functional dependence of the quality of the mixture on the angles of installation of the wings of the blades. The optimum quality of the mixture of 20% for the share of the control component of 1% and the mixing time equal to 200 sec corresponded to the angles of the wings of the L-shaped blades: the lower part - 45 degrees and the upper part - 25 degrees between the direction of the wing of the blade and tangent to the circumference of the drum at the installation site of the wing of the blade (its closest point to the axis of attachment of the drum) in the range of angles was, respectively: 30-55 degrees and 0-45 degrees. Deviation of the indicated angles (except for increasing the installation angle of the lower wing of the blade) affects the quality of the mixture. In this direction, the stabilization of the coefficient of variation was observed.

The aim of the research was to increase the efficiency of the modernized (by replacing the blades) transportable drum mixer by intensifying the mixing stroke by improving its design and optimizing the mixing time of the components. The research methodology provided for a regression analysis of experimental results to establish the function of the influence of the mixing duration on the coefficient of variation. The best quality of the mixture is observed in the mixing time interval of 60-300 sec, with an optimum of about 120-140 sec. The average value of the coefficient of variation in this case corresponded to 10.9%. Due to the inconsistency of the results of a one-stage mixing with technological requirements for the quality of the mixture, the function for a two-stage mixing is justified. The optimum ratio of the pre-mix filler to the control component is about 4. The mixing time of the second mixing stage should correspond to 180 seconds. Moreover, the unevenness of the mixture (10%) meets the technological requirements. Compared to the typical design of the mixer used, a 7% improvement in the quality of the mixture is observed.