Development and Optimization of an Offset Spiral Tooth Fertilizer Discharge Device

Longyu Fang, Wenwu Yang (), Xiwen Luo, Han Guo, Shiyu Song, Qinghai Liu, Haoyang Xie, Weiman Chen, Jianxin Lu, Zhixiang Peng and Guanjiong Li
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Longyu Fang: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China
Wenwu Yang: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Xiwen Luo: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China
Han Guo: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Shiyu Song: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Qinghai Liu: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Haoyang Xie: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Weiman Chen: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Jianxin Lu: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Zhixiang Peng: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Guanjiong Li: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-22

Abstract: Due to factors such as a small amount of fertilizer application during rice topdressing and slow machine speed, the ordinary fertilizer discharge device fails to distribute the fertilizer uniformly and accurately as required, making it difficult to meet the needs of precise rice topdressing. This research focuses on the development of an offset spiral tooth fertilizer discharge device suitable for rice topdressing. The study analyzes the amount of fertilizer discharged in one cycle, the fertilizer force, and the motion of the fertilizer particles. In order to enhance the uniformity of the fertilizer discharge device at a low speed and small volume, the discrete element method is employed to conduct experimental research on the key structural parameters that affect the one-cycle amount of discharged fertilizer and the dynamics of the fertilizer discharge device. Through single-factor tests, it was found that the angle, height, number of spiral teeth, and diameter of the fertilizer discharge wheel are closely associated with the fertilizer discharge performance. To further investigate the impact of these four parameters on the fertilizer discharge performance, a regression combination test of the four factors is conducted based on the range optimized by the single-factor tests. A multi-objective mathematical model, considering the key parameters of fertilizer uniformity coefficient, one-cycle amount of fertilizer, and fertilizer discharge torque, is established at three speeds: 20, 55, and 90 rpm. The response surface method is utilized to analyze the influence of the interaction factors on the fertilizer discharge performance. The optimal combination of the key structural parameters was determined as follows: spiral tooth angle of 35.42°, tooth height of 9.02 mm, discharge wheel diameter of 57.43 mm, and tooth amount of 9.37. The bench test results of the device, using the optimal parameter combination and a fertilizer discharge speed of 0–90 rpm, were obtained for four commonly used rice fertilizers. The maximum variation coefficient of fertilizer discharge was found to be 10.42%. The one-cycle amount of fertilizer discharge was measured to be 19.82 ± 0.72 (A Kang), 17.20 ± 0.69 (Ba Tian), 20.34 ± 0.54 (Yaran), and 14.51 ± 0.44 (granular urea). The fertilizer discharge torque remained stable. These results indicate that the achieved optimization meets the precise fertilizer application requirements and can provide technical support for precise topdressing operations.

Keywords: small fertilizer quantity; rice top-dressing; offset spiral tooth fertilizer discharge device; fertilizer uniformity; fertilizer torque (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: 2024
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