Development and Performance Evaluation of a Pressure-Adjustable Waterjet Stubble-Cutting Device with Thickness Detection for No-Till Sowing

Minghao Qu, Gang Wang (), Zihao Zhou, Xiaomei Gao, Hailan Li, Hewen Tan, Meiqi Xiang and Honglei Jia
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Minghao Qu: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China
Gang Wang: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China
Zihao Zhou: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China
Xiaomei Gao: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China
Hailan Li: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China
Hewen Tan: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China
Meiqi Xiang: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China
Honglei Jia: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 17, 1-18

Abstract: No-till maize ( Zea mays L.) sowing is often affected by stubble. The high-pressure waterjet at a constant rate is powerless to precision applications of stubble cutting and causes water waste. In this study, a pressure-adjustable stubble-cutting device with a stubble-thickness detection device was designed. Through experiments, the quantitative analysis of the moisture content and electrical conductivity ( EC ) of the field soil and stubble during the spring sowing period was conducted, and the effect of soil moisture content ( SMC ), soil compaction ( SC ) and machine forward speed ( V ) on the stubble-thickness detection error ( STDE ) was explored. On this basis, the optimal parameters of the device were analyzed and evaluated, and a verification experiment was applied. The results showed that STDE decreased with the increase of SMC and SC and increased with the increase of V . The response time of the pressure adjustment system is 0.12 s. The stubble-cutting device with thickness detection for two-level pressure regulation reduced the water consumption ( WC ) by 13.22% under the condition that the stubble-cutting rate ( SCR ) remained unchanged. The WC increased with the increase of waterjet pressure ( P ) and decreased with the increase of V . The SCR increased first and then decreased with the increase of cutting angle ( α ). The response surface optimization analysis showed that when P was 26 MPa, α 90.45° and V was 3.36 km/h, the performance was optimal with a 3.03% STDE , a 95.49% stubble SCR and a 49.98 L/ha WC . The measured value of the field verification experiment had a 4.11% relative error existing in STDE , a 4.06% relative error existing in the SCR and a 1.81% relative error existing in WC compared with the predicted value of the regression model. In contrast to the constant rate waterjet cutting device, the application of this device can save WC by 13.22%. This study can provide a reference for the application of waterjet technology and conductivity detection technology in the agricultural field.

Keywords: waterjet cutting; maize stubble; thickness detection; electrical conductivity; no-till sowing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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