CFD Simulation and Optimization of the Leaf Collecting Mechanism for the Riding-Type Tea Plucking Machine

Xiaoxing Weng, Dapeng Tan (), Gang Wang, Changqing Chen, Lianyou Zheng, Mingan Yuan, Duojiao Li, Bin Chen, Li Jiang and Xinrong Hu
Additional contact information
Xiaoxing Weng: Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Machinery, Jinhua 321017, China
Dapeng Tan: Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Special Purpose Equipment and Advanced Manufacturing, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Gang Wang: Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Machinery, Jinhua 321017, China
Changqing Chen: Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Machinery, Jinhua 321017, China
Lianyou Zheng: Zhejiang Jiu Qi Machinery Co., Ltd., Jinhua 321000, China
Mingan Yuan: Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Machinery, Jinhua 321017, China
Duojiao Li: Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Machinery, Jinhua 321017, China
Bin Chen: Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Machinery, Jinhua 321017, China
Li Jiang: Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Machinery, Jinhua 321017, China
Xinrong Hu: Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Machinery, Jinhua 321017, China

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-21

Abstract: In the process of tea plucking and leaf gathering, the structure optimization design of the leaf collecting mechanism is the key element responsible for collecting fresh leaves. The unreasonable design and manufacture of leaf collecting mechanisms will cause the smooth collection of fresh leaves, the quality of the collected fresh leaves will be damaged, and the commodity value will be reduced. In order to further study the structural characteristics of the leaf collecting mechanism, an air outlet model of the leaf collecting mechanism was established for the phenomena of internal vortex rotation and impact in the leaf collecting mechanism process. The internal flow field of the leaf collecting mechanism, the movement trajectory of fresh leaves, and the non-homogeneous flow are calculated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Based on Box-Behnken’s central combinatorial design theory, the velocity inlet and outlet air structure factors are taken as the influencing factors to carry out response surface test research. The effect of different parameters such as engine rotation, shape of the blowing cavity and air outlet parts, and velocity on the flow is determined. The optimal parameter combination is as follows: the height of the outlet end, the length of the inlet end, and the velocity inlet are 0.01 m, 0.03 m, and 25 m/s, respectively. Furthermore, it was found that when the number of plates increases from 1 to 4, the non-homogeneity decreases all the time, and the distribution of blowing air is improved without a sharp decrease in velocity. The average velocity outlet was larger than the velocity inlet, which meets the requirements of blade gathering. Considering comprehensively, the flow field simulation of the blade collecting mechanism with four baffles was consistent with the test results of the velocity outlet. The validation results showed that the model can successfully simulate the air flow inside the leaf-collecting mechanism, and the reasonable structure design was conducive to reducing the number of collisions between tea buds and improving the quality of tea buds. This research has certain theoretical and practical implications for the accurate plucking of high-quality tea.

Keywords: CFD; riding-type tea plucking machine; leaf collecting mechanism; flow field; structure design (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: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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