Subtopic: Functional requirements, principles of working, construction and operation of manual, animal, tractor and renewable energy operated equipment for tillage, sowing, planting, fertilizer application, inter-cultivation, spraying, mowing, chaff cutting, harvesting and threshing
Question Statement:
In a combine harvester reel, the 'reel index' ($K$) is defined as the ratio of:
Options:
(A) Reel peripheral speed ($v_r$) to machine forward speed ($v_f$)
(B) Forward speed to cutter bar frequency
(C) Cutter bar width to reel diameter
(D) Straw walker speed to fan speed
Answer Key:
A
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
Reel index $K = v_r / v_f$, typically maintained between $1.25$ and $1.5$ to smoothly pull crop stalks over the cutter bar without shattering grain.