The Impact of Structural and Operational Parameters of the Centrifugal Disc spreader on the Spatial Distribution of Fertilizer

The objective of this study was to specify the impact of structural and operational parameters of the centrifugal disc spreader on the spatial distribution of fertilizer varied in terms of physical properties (urea, ammonium sulfate, nitrochalk). The spatial distribution was characterized by parameters of the stationary spread pattern in the polar coordinate system: average angle and average radius of the stationary spread pattern of fertilizer. In the study, the selected parameters which significantly affecting spread quality were: rotation speed of the disc, feed position of fertilizer on the disc and the vanes angle on the disc. In order to determinate the impact on spatial distribution, the results were statistically analyzed based on the analysis of variance. The study showed that the factors impacting greatly the average angle of the stationary spread pattern are: the feed position of fertilizer on the disc, the vanes angle on the disc and the fertilizer type. Finally the fertilizer type and the rotation speed of the disc influence greatly the average radius of the stationary spread.