Optimization Design and Experiment of Ear-Picking and Threshing Devices of Corn Plot Kernel Harvester

Ranbing Yang, Dongquan Chen, Xiantao Zha, Zhiguo Pan and Shuqi Shang
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Ranbing Yang: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Dongquan Chen: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
Xiantao Zha: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Zhiguo Pan: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
Shuqi Shang: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 9, 1-22

Abstract: In order to solve the problems of easy-to-break kernels and substantial harvest losses during kernel harvesting in breeding trials plot of corn, an ear-picking device and a threshing device of corn plot kernel harvester has been optimized. To automatically change the gap of the ear-picking plate, a self-elastic structure with compression spring and connecting rod is used. The ear-picking plate is glued, and an elastic rubber gasket is placed underneath it, which effectively improves the adaptability of the ear-picking device and reduces corn kernel collision damage during ear-picking. To ensure the self-purification of the ear-picking device, a combination of auger sieve hole cleaning device and lateral pneumatic auxiliary cleaning system is used. A dual-axial flow threshing device is designed, which uses a “U”-shaped conveying system to transport maize ears in the threshing chamber. The spacing of the concave sieve may be adjusted, and the residual kernels in the threshing chamber can be cleaned up after harvesting one plot by combining three cleanings, which meets the requirements of no mixing between plots. The force analysis of corn ears in the threshing chamber determines the best design plan for the forward speed, the speed of the second threshing drum, and the threshing gap. The breakage rate and non-threshing rate regression models were created using the quadratic regression orthogonal combination test, and the parameters were optimized using MATLAB. The verification test results showed that when the forward speed was 0.61 m/s, the second threshing drum speed was 500 r/min, and the threshing gap was 40 mm, the breakage rate was 1.47%, and the non-threshing rate was 0.89%, which met the kernel harvesting requirements in corn plots.

Keywords: breeding plots; corn; low-damage harvesting; optimization design; field experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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