Effect of Geometrical and Operational Parameters on Performance Dynamics of Modified Rotary Blades: A DEM-Based Investigation

Abstract

The geometric features and operational parameters of rotary blades on rotary tillers significantly impact their performance characteristics. The sweepback angle is a geometric feature of the 'L'-shaped rotary blade that has remained unexplored in previous studies. This study aimed to analyze the effect of geometrical and operational parameters on the performance dynamics of the 'L'-shaped rotary blade. The investigation was conducted using the discrete element method (DEM) and further validated through experiments conducted in a soil bin. The simulation experiment was conducted by dividing the particle bed into horizontal particle zones. The effect of the geometrical (sweepback angle) and operational parameters (forward speed, rotational speed and depth) on the power requirement, disturbance intensity and mixing index was studied. The novel method was adopted to determine the mixing capability of rotary blades in terms of sub-domain mixing index (SMI) and overall mixing index (OMI). The results revealed that the power requirements for a sweepback angle of 18° were 26.39% and 16.50% lower than those for sweepback angles of 6° and 12°, respectively. The sweepback angle tends to have the least effect on the overall mixing index compared to operational parameters. The average particle velocity decreased by 22.19 and 29.60% with sweepback angles of 12 and 18°, respectively, compared to the sweepback angle of 6°. The relative error during the experiment varied between 1.29 and 13.51%. It was concluded that the sweepback angle was found to be a feasible option for reducing the power requirement with the minimum impact on the overall performance.