Study on the Bionic Design and Cutting Performance of Alfalfa Cutters Based on the Maxillary Mouthparts of Longicorn Beetles

Jingyi Ma, Kun Wu, Ang Gao, Yonghui Du, Yuepeng Song () and Longlong Ren ()
Additional contact information
Jingyi Ma: College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
Kun Wu: College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
Ang Gao: College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
Yonghui Du: College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
Yuepeng Song: College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
Longlong Ren: College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-20

Abstract: Inspired by the maxillary mouthparts of longicorn beetles, four types of bionic cutters were designed in this research to address the prevalent issues of high cutting resistance and severe stubble damage encountered during alfalfa harvesting. Finite element simulation was utilized to assess the structural integrity and cutting performance of these bionic cutters. Additionally, bench tests were conducted on a homemade stem-cutting force measurement and control rig to evaluate their effectiveness. The results indicated: (1) the bionic cutters achieved a reduction in maximum equivalent force ranging from 20.9% to 49.2% and a decrease in maximum deformation from 31.4% to 64.1% compared to conventional cutters; (2) the maximum cutting resistance of alfalfa stems was reduced by 28.6%, 43.9%, 52.4%, and 38.6%, significantly enhancing the flatness of the cut surfaces; (3) orthogonal bench tests demonstrated that the type of cutter and the slip-cutting angle significantly influenced the maximum cutting resistance of the stems ( p < 0.01), with the optimal configuration being bionic cutter c, a slip-cutting angle of 10°, and a rotational speed of 2600 rpm. In conclusion, bionic cutters demonstrate substantial advantages in reducing maximum cutting resistance and improving the flatness of alfalfa stubble, suggesting their potential for widespread application and adoption.

Keywords: bionic cutter; alfalfa stem; finite element analysis; cutting test (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
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/8/1302/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/8/1302/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:14:y:2024:i:8:p:1302-:d:1451544

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().