Discrete Particle Simulation of Gas-Solid Flow in Air-Blowing Seed Metering Device

In this paper,the gas and seed flow characters in the air-blowing seed metering device are investigated by using the coupled computational fluid dynamics and discrete element method(CFD-DEM)in three dimensions(3D).The method of establishing boundary model based on the computer-aided design(CAD)drawing,has been used to build the boundary model of seed metering device.The 3D laser scanning technique and multi-element method are adopted to establish the particle model.Through a combined numerical and experimental effort,using 3D CFD-DEM software,which is based on the in-house codes,the mechanisms governing the gas and solid dynamic behaviors in the seed metering device have been studied.The gas velocity field and the effect of different rotational speeds and air pressures on the seeding performance and particle velocity have been studied,similar agreements between numerical and experimental results are gained.This reveals that the 3D CFD-DEM model established is able to predict the performance of the air-blowing seed metering device.It can be used to design and optimize the air-blowing seed metering device and other similar agriculture devices.

Design of Metering Device Key Parts of Pneumatic Grass Seeder

Based on the mechanical and physical properties study of forage grass seeds, multi-line with one-device type metering device was designed. It was composed of adjustable screw, stirrer, metering device housing and central metering sheave and so on. The sowing rate can be set by turning the screw to change the working length of the central metering sheave relative to the metering device housing. The stirrer inside of the sheave housing is used to prevent seeds overhead. And metering of different sizes of seed is adjusted by changing the position of internal components of the slot wheel mechanism. Innovative design on the structure of the central metering sheave was finished. According to the structure parameters and physical characteristic parameters, different seed sowing rate of per hectares was calculated. And then the working length scale of the central metering groove wheel was made. And there is a one-to-one correspondence between scale values and sowing quantity per hectare of different kinds of seed.

Determination of Some Design Parameters for Roller Type Seed Metering Device

There are many design parameters in precision planters to be considered such as cell diameter, peripheral speed of roller, number of cells, manner of feeding seeds into cell and travel speed. In precision planters each cell must contain only one seed. Therefore, sliding the seed to the cell is important and depends on several parameters such as seed repose angle, seed dimensions and physics of cell. To help the seed to repose in the cell, making a groove on the roller would be very useful. Dimensions of this groove are very important and are considered as basic design parameters. This research was performed to determine some design parameters such as roller speed, travel speed, length and depth of groove for tomato seeds precision planting. In this regard, seeds with a diameter of 4 mm were used. The range of variation was based on calculations obtained. A roller with 42 mm width, 118 mm diameter and 15 cells on the surface was used in the experiment. For each cell, a triangular groove was created on the roller. The groove depth varied from zero at the beginning to the maximum value where the groove connected to the cell. The test unit had a continued and wide belt with 1 l m length. In each replication, planter worked for 20 s to reach a stable state. Thereafter, seeds were allowed to drop on the grease belt. Number of seeds and their spacing were measured on the 4.5 m of the belt. Results showed that the roller speed of 41.5 rpm, the planter travel speed of approximately 1 km/h, groove length of 6-8 mm and groove depth of 1.5 mm can improve planter performance for tomato pelleted seed.

Design and experiment of the pneumatic double disc precision seed metering device for Chinese flowering cabbage

Single seed metering devices for Chinese flowering cabbage planting machines have suffered such deficiencies as low efficiency,poor accuracy,and instability.To overcome these limitations,a pneumatic double disc precision seed metering device was designed.This innovative device can simultaneously plant four rows,considering the specific agricultural requirements and the geometric characteristics for Chinese flowering cabbage seeds.The precise parameters of the key component seed disc were derived through theoretical calculation.In addition,a detailed account was given for the working principle and workflow of the seed metering device.The discrete element method and EDEM software were employed to optimize the seed disc by exploring the effects of seed disc rotational speed and interleaving seed slots on seed viability.Orthogonal rotation experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of seed disc rotational speed and negative pressure.While rates of qualified seeding,double seeding and missing seeding were adopted as test indicators.Testing results show that,at a seed disc rotational speed of 41.5 r/min and a negative pressure of 3.80 kPa,the average qualified seeding rate is 90.13%,the average missing seeding rate is 3.30%,and the average double seeding rate is 6.02%.These values satisfy the agricultural requirements for planting Chinese flowering cabbage.The findings can also provide valuable insights for the structural optimization and design of precision seed metering devices for Chinese flowering cabbage.

Design and parameter optimization of air-suction wheel type of seedmetering device with elastic pad for maize

Due to the maize growing agronomy requires ground covered by mulch film in the arid zones of the China Northwest region,the seed-metering device must roll over,break the film,and then throw seeds into soil.However,the uneven ground can cause the seed-metering device to shake,reducing seed-metering performance.To improve the adaptability for different shapes of maize seeds,a air suction wheel type seed-metering device with elastic pad was developed for better seed extraction and bump resistance.Firstly,the advantages and influencing factors of the elastic pad were analyzed through four processes of metering seeds.Secondly,the velocity distributions of six diameters of the suction hole are compared to determine the range with FLUENT.Then,a one-factor experiment was conducted to analyze the pattern of the factors(the seed layer height,the critical vacuum,the rotational speed of the seed disk,and the suction hole diameter)influencing the metering seed performance.Finally,a five-level quadratic rotation orthogonal design was used to optimize the parameters.Results show that the optimal values are that the seed layer height is 40 mm,and the critical vacuum is 2.85 kPa,and the rotational speed of the seed disk is 20.1 r/min.The validation experiment resulted in a 93.79%qualified index,with a 4.02%missing index and a 2.19%multiple index.

Theoretical Study of Seed Movement in Cotton Seeds Selection Device

The aim of the research work is to increase the yield of cotton fiber by improving the processing technology of germinated seeds, to improve the quality indicators of seeds and lint. In order to achieve this goal, a mesh surface device was created to sort the seeds into fractions. Sorting technology was developed on this device and operating modes were determined. In addition, the law of surface distribution of the fractions separated from the cotton stream moving along the surface of the net was determined, and based on the results of practical and theoretical research, a mode of sorting of cotton seeds was developed. As a result, differential equations of the law of oscillation of seeds on parallel bases, taking into account the angle of inclination for the movement of cotton seeds on the sorting surface, were constructed and programmed on a computer to construct the trajectory of seeds. On the basis of the laws of motion, the optimal value of the angle of inclination on the horizontal, which gives the state of sorting of seeds, as well as the values of the amplitude and frequency of vibrations, was determined.

Vacuum and Air Flow for 2QXP-1 Vacuum Precision Seed Metering

Vacuum precision seed metering is the key part of vacuum seed planter. Planting performance of planter is affected by vacuum and air flow which are important parameters for choosing fan. Effects of qualification percent and miss percent on air chamber vacuum 3, 4, 5 and 6 kPa were studied at different operating speeds. The results showed that operating performance of the seed metering was excellent when air chamber vacuum was 5 and 6 kPa, which air flow was 7.4-8.0 m3·s-1 and 8.0-8.8 m3·s-1 , respectively.

Measurement Process of MOSFET Device Parameters with VEE Pro Software for DP4T RF Switch

To design a Double-Pole Four-Throw (DP4T) RF switch, measurement of device parameters is required. In this DP4T RF switch CMOS is a unit cell, so with a thin oxide layer of thickness 628 ? which is measured optically. Some of the material parameters were found by the curve drawn between Capacitance versus Voltage (C-V) and Capacitance versus Frequency (C-F) with the application of Visual Engineering Environment Programming (VEE Pro). To perform the measurement processing at a distance, from the hazardous room, we use VEE Pro software. In this research, to acquire a fine result for RF MOSFET, we vary the voltage with minor increments and perform the measurements by vary the applying voltage from +5 V to –5 V and then back to +5 V again and then save this result in a data sheet with respect to temperature, voltage and frequency using this program. We have investigated the characteristics of RF MOSFET, which will be used for the wireless telecommunication systems.

Investigation of the pin-roller metering device and tube effect for wheat seeds and granular fertilizers based on DEM

The metering device is the central part of the seeder discharging granular fertilizers or seeds from the hopper to the colter passing through the tube.Depending on the metering device design,the batches of particles are discharged or discharged evenly.This research analyzes existing metering devices,and a new pin-roller metering device is recommended to discharge evenly high doses of granular fertilizers and wheat seeds at low rotation speeds.The objective was to adapt the metering device to precision agriculture so that a little electric motor containing gearbox drives every metering device.Therefore,the pin-roller metering device parameters were investigated to apply high doses of granular fertilizers and wheat seeds evenly.The optimal pin positions were determined according to response surface methods(RSM)by simulating the granular fertilizers and wheat seeds'behavior on DEM.The coefficient of variation(CV)and the slip rate(SR)of the particles between the pins were chosen as indicators for evaluating the pin-roller.The shape of the pin was specified,and then the number of lines,the number of pins in a line,and the pin height were chosen to optimize.The analysis of the simulation results shows the optimal parameters:the number of pins in a line is four,and the number of lines is sixteen.The SR of granular fertilizers and wheat seeds were 8%and 2%,respectively.The pin-roller metering device is compared with the six-grooved and twelve-grooved metering devices.The comparison results show that the pin-roller metering device distributes twice more uniformly than other metering devices.The CV of the granular fertilizer distribution for six-grooved,twelve-grooved,and pin-roller metering devices was 111.13%,80.74%,and 37%,respectively.The CV of the wheat seed distribution for twelve-grooved and pin-roller metering devices was 96%,and 37%,respectively.As long as the particles interact with the tube,leaving the metering device,the effect of tube type and position is investigated.As a result,it was determined that the tube has minimal effect on the pin-roller metering device while positively impacting the six-grooved and twelve-grooved metering devices,improving the CV of the particle distribution into the soil.

Optimized design of the pneumatic precision seed-metering device for carrots

The small size, light weight, irregular shape, and impurities that characterize seed groups increase clogging tendencies in the traditional seed-metering device thereby making it difficult to achieve high-speed precision seeding. A pneumatic seed-metering device with good seed-filling performance for carrot was designed in this study. By analyzing the movement state of seeds in the device under the theoretical condition, it was concluded that the minimum critical negative pressure value of air chamber was 0.32 kPa, which provided a theoretical basis for simulation and testing. ANSYS 17.0 Software was used to simulate the shape of the seeding plate hole. By comparing the pressure, air flow stability between the suction surface and the plug removal surface of the convection field, it was concluded that the conical hole was optimal. A bench verification test was conducted on the device. The average qualified rate, missing rate, and replaying rate were 81.48%, 4.07%, and 14.45%, respectively, which provided a strong reference for the design of carrot precision seed-metering device.

Seed guide path planning and parameter optimization for air-suction carrot seed-metering device

To meet the requirement of“zero speed”for precision sowing,the instantaneous speed of seed falling into the seed bed should be equal to the opposite direction of the forward speed of the machine.Through analyzing the principle of seed guiding process,the main influencing factors affecting the contour curve of the seed tube were determined to plan the seed guiding path and realize zero speed seed delivery.With the help of EDEM simulation software,taking the inclination angle of seed tube end,operating speed of the metering disc,and machine’s forward speed as the experimental factors,a single-factor simulation test was conducted with the pass rate,replay rate,and missing seeding rate as experimental indexes.The results of the simulation test showed that the range of inclination angle of the seed tube end was 23°-40°,the range of machine forward speed was 5-9 km/h,and the range of operating speed of the metering disc was 15-40 r/min.The quadratic orthogonal rotation combination test method was carried out using the bench test,and a mathematical regression model was established between experimental factors and experimental indexes to determine the priority order of factors,and the best combination of factors.The test results showed that the pass rate was 93.25%,the replay rate was 2.97%and the missing seeding rate was 3.78%under the condition with the inclination angle of seed tube end of 32.28°,the forward speed of the machine of 6.89 km/h and the operating speed of the metering disc of 28.67 r/min,which can meet the requirements of relevant national standards.

Design and optimization of the seed conveying system for belt-type highspeed corn seed guiding device

Seeding is an important part of improving corn yield.Currently,seed guide tubes are mostly used as transport devices.But the existing seed guide tubes cannot meet the requirements or achieve the goal of fixing the seed falling trajectory.A seed collision phenomenon occurs occasionally.So,in response to the problems that the seeds and seed guide tube collide or bounce under high speed operation,which results in a lower sowing qualification rate and poor spacing uniformity,a seed receiving and conveying system comprising a belt-type high-speed corn seed guiding device was designed and optimized,to meet the needs of high-speed precision sowing operations and improve the spacing uniformity.The factors affecting the seed conveying performance were obtained by analyzing the mechanical properties of the seeds at various movement stages.These factors were the number of seed cavities between adjacent seeds,the forward speed,the height from the ground,and the installation angle.Single factor simulation experiments were conducted by selecting the paddle spacing as the test factor and using the pass rate,reseeding rate,omission rate and coefficient of variation as the evaluation indexes to investigate the influence of the paddle spacing on the seed guide performance of the device and further determine the structural parameters of the paddle belt.Orthogonal rotation combination tests of three factors and five levels were also conducted through bench testing.Then the test outcomes were optimized.The results indicated that the best results were obtained when the number of seed cavity intervals between adjacent seeds was 5.16,the installation angle was 79.40°,and the height from the ground was 31.84 mm.At this time,the qualified rate was 98.49%,the repeated sowing rate was 0.48%,the missed sowing rate was 1.03%,and the coefficient of variation was 6.80%.Experiments were used to validate the optimization results,and all of the obtained index data satisfied the criteria for accurate and quick corn sowing.The study’s findings can serve as a theoretical foundation for a belt-type high-speed corn seed guiding device optimization test.

Methods for Increasing the Efficiency of Cleaning the Transfer Device

The article improves the quality of raw cotton by creating a new transfer device structure for the transportation of cotton in long-distance riots, located in the main building of the ginnery. Both foreign and domestic separator cleaners have been studied. Experiments were carried out on prototype transfer device and the results were obtained. The cleaning efficiency was determined by sampling the cotton entering the separator in the moving device and exiting after the inclined vibrating mesh surface installed after the separator.

Optimization of a three-row air-suction Brassica chinensis precision metering device based on CFD-DEM coupling simulation

This study aimed to optimize a three-row air-suction Brassica chinensis precision metering device to improve the low seeding performance.ANSYS 17.0 Software was used to analyze the effect of different numbers of suction holes and different suction hole structures on the airflow field.It was found that a suction hole number of 60 was beneficial to the flow field stability and a conical hole structure was beneficial to the adsorption of seeds.Box-Behnken design experiments were carried out with negative pressure,rotational speed,and hole diameter as the experimental factors.The optimal parameter combination was achieved when the negative pressure was 3.96 kPa,the rotational speed of the seeding plate was 1.49 rad/s and the hole diameter was 1.10 mm.The qualification rate of inner,middle,and outer rings were 87.580%,90.548%,and 90.117%,respectively,and the miss seeding rate of inner,middle,and outer rings were 10.915%,7.139%,and 5.920%,respectively.

气吸双行错置式玉米密植精量排种器设计与试验

针对大豆-玉米复合密植播种模式下传统气吸式排种器单行种盘高转速作业导致充种时间短、气流稳定性差,难以实现高速精量密植播种的问题,设计了一种气吸双行错置式玉米密植精量排种器,阐述了排种器结构与工作原理,对其工作过程及关键部件进行理论分析,构建充种和投种环节的种子力学模型,确定排种盘内外环型孔排布、投种轮、气室等关键结构参数,并开展单、双气道内负压分布、型孔内气流场特性分析,基于DEM-CFD耦合方法对排种器的排种过程进行仿真分析,以作业速度、气室结构和负压为试验因素,充种合格指数、重充指数和漏充指数为评价指标,优选出最优气室结构。通过台架试验开展不同气吸式排种器排种性能对比试验。试验结果表明,在作业速度为5~10 km/h的高速密植工况下,气吸双行错置式密植精量排种器排种合格指数均大于88.7%,且作业速度为10 km/h时,相较于常用单圆环气吸式排种器合格指数提高5.5个百分点,漏播指数降低5.6个百分点;田间试验结果表明,在作业速度为5 km/h下,播种合格指数为95.7%,重播指数为1.6%,漏播指数为2.8%。提出的气吸双行错置式玉米密植精量排种器在高速作业时拥有良好的排种性能,能够满足大豆-玉米高速精量密植播种要求。

气吸式杂交稻单粒排种器研制

针对气力式水稻精量排种器充种不稳定、单粒播种精度不高和播种量大的问题,该研究设计了一种具有矩形吸种孔和辅助充种装置的气吸式杂交稻单粒排种器。根据“吉田优”型杂交稻的长短轴重力分布情况,确定排种盘吸种孔形状;基于CFD-DEM(Computational fluid dynamics,Discrete element method)流固耦合理论,以吸附力为指标,进行5类具有相同面积的吸种孔单因素仿真试验,确定吸附力最大的吸种孔规格为0.8 mm×2.25 mm;以该型吸种孔为基础,选取辅助充种角、工作转速和工作负压为试验因素,以单粒率S、多粒率M和漏播率L为试验指标,开展Box-Bhnken台架试验,对试验结果进行响应曲面分析和多目标优化,得到排种盘辅助充种角为80.90°、工作转速为42.65 r/min、工作负压为621 Pa时,排种器的单粒率为86.91%,漏播率为3.63%。验证试验结果的排种器单粒率为86.36%、漏播率为3.41%,与优化结果吻合。研究结果可为后续气吸式杂交稻单粒排种器的优化设计和直播机整机作业精度的提高提供指导。

水平圆盘式大豆单粒精密排种器的设计与试验

为了实现大豆单粒精密播种,设计了一种水平圆盘大豆单粒精密排种器,并对其工作原理进行了分析。依据大豆种子的物理参数,对排种盘的型孔尺寸、直径等参数进行了计算分析,确定型孔尺寸的长、宽和高分别为9、5、9mm。为了得到排种器的最佳性能,以排种器转速、大豆品种为试验因素,以排种合格指数、重播指数、漏播指数为试验指标,利用EDEM软件进行仿真试验,结果表明:当排种器最佳转速为40r/min时,排种合格率均大于96.4%,重播率小于2%,漏播率小于1.7%。在最佳参数下,进行台架试验验证,结果表明:当排种器转速为40r/min时,3个品种的大豆种子的排种合格率均大于96.5%,重播率小于2%,漏播率小于1.7%,能够满足大豆单粒精密播种的要求。

交错凸齿式宽苗带小麦精量排种器设计与试验

针对外槽轮式小麦宽苗带排种器排量不稳定和苗带内种子分布均匀性较差的问题,该研究设计了一种交错凸齿式宽苗带小麦精量排种器。通过连续充种分析和排量计算,确定凸齿高度和凸齿角度是影响排量一致性和排种均匀性的关键参数。应用离散元法对上述关键参数进行中心旋转组合仿真试验,结果表明,对排量一致性、排种均匀性影响显著性程度由大到小的因素分别依次为凸齿角、凸齿高、作业速度,且均具有交互影响。借助响应面分析,得出凸齿高5 mm、凸齿角75°时的排量一致性和排种均匀性较优,平均变异系数分别为2.27%和7.61%。对该参数组合排种器进行样机试制,并进行台架试验,台架试验结果表明,排种一致性和均匀性变异系数与仿真值误差均低于5%,说明仿真优化结果可靠、准确。田间对比试验结果表明,播量120、150和180 kg/hm~2时,交错凸齿式宽苗带小麦精量排种器的播量一致性、纵向播种均匀性和横向播种均匀性变异系数分别较外槽轮式排种器降低0.99、3.01和9.38个百分点,满足小麦宽苗带播种农艺要求。研究结果可为提高排种均匀性的小麦排种装置设计提供参考。

STUDY ON SEED-FEEDING WHEEL WORKING PARAMETERS OF RICE COMPOUND SEEDLINE RAISING MACHINE

The rice compound seedling raising machine is developed according to the request for the rice project seeding plant technology. The principle of the transmission system of the rice compound seedling raising machine and the seed feeding wheel working parameters are introduced. The tests of different structure and working parameters are made in the testing device of the new rice compound seedling raising machine, and the optimizing parameters for designing of seed feeding wheel are obtained.