DEM simulation research of selected sowing unit elements used in a mechanical seeding drill

Abstract

The paper presents the results of research aimed at the verification of the existing design solutions of four example sowing units for agricultural seed drills with the most frequently used types of sowing wheels. The research was conducted with the use of modern computer simulation systems based on the discrete element method (DEM) with the evaluation of the efficiency of selected design solutions in terms of achieved performance and metering uniformity. The paper includes a description of virtual research models and the employed mathematical models used for mirroring contact between seeds. Moreover, for the purpose of verification of the obtained results, bench tests were conducted using actual models of selected design solutions.

Comparison of experimental and numerical results on flow uniformity of seeds transmitted from the studded feed roller

“…Huang et al (2018) studied the parameter optimisation of a fluted roller meter using the DEM both experimentally and by simulation and reported that the simulation and experiment results showed similar trends. In a similar study, Marcinkiewicz et al (2019) tested the performance of studded feed rollers, which have four different designs, experimentally and with simulation. They found that the experimental study and the simulation study confirmed each other.…”

“…For example, Huang et al (2018) improved operating parameters and the flow evenness of the fluted roller meter for diammonium phosphate fertilizer by using the DEM. Marcinkiewicz et al (2019) tested four different studded feed rollers for wheat both experimentally and the DEM. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of the change in the structural properties of the studded feed rollers, which are widely used in sowing machines, on the wheat seed flow evenness both in laboratory conditions and in the DEM simulation model, to compare the results obtained in the laboratory with the results obtained from the DEM simulation model, to test the input parameters and methodology used in the DEM simulation model, to show the relationship between them, and to highlight the advantages of the DEM simulation model in the design of seed drill metering units.…”

Design and Research Sowing Devices for Aerial Sowing of Forest Seeds with UAVs

“…Let us briefly consider the existing studies of various sowing device carried out by DEM methods. A large number of researchers studied the working process of fluted roller metering devices and similar fertilizer dispensers [22][23][24]. The main difference between the studies is the use of different types of metering rolls and seeds of different geometric shapes.…”

“…Analysis of the research led to the following conclusions: -DEM modeling can be successfully applied to study the working processes of periodically (stationary) open metering device, fluted roller device, mechanical vertical plate precision device, centrifugal spreaders and other similar mechanical types; A large number of researchers studied the working process of fluted roller metering devices and similar fertilizer dispensers [22][23][24]. The main difference between the studies is the use of different types of metering rolls and seeds of different geometric shapes.…”