Numerical Simulation and Analysis of the Impurity Removal Process of a Sugarcane Chopper Harvester Based on a CFD–DEM Model

Tao Wu, Fatang Li, Qingting Liu (), Jiahui Ren, Jibai Huang and Zhanji Qin
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Tao Wu: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510642, China
Fatang Li: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510642, China
Qingting Liu: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510642, China
Jiahui Ren: School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Jibai Huang: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510642, China
Zhanji Qin: Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510642, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-18

Abstract: The cleaning system is a critical component of the sugarcane chopper harvester, facing challenges such as high impurity rate, elevated power consumption, and an inadequate understanding of the cleaning mechanism. This study aims to simulate the process of removing extraneous matter (represented by sugarcane leaves) from the cleaning system by employing a coupling approach of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the discrete element method (DEM) to determine the speed of the extractor fan. Initially, a CFD model was established to analyze the airflow field within the extractor, and its accuracy was verified on a test bench for the cleaning system. Subsequently, a DEM model was developed for sugarcane billets and leaves, which was then integrated with the CFD model to form a gas–solid coupling model. The efficacy of this integrated model was confirmed through experimental measurements of impurity rate. Furthermore, a ternary quadratic regression orthogonal combination design was utilized in the gas–solid coupling simulation to assess the impacts of feed rate, leaf–stalk ratio, and extractor fan speed on impurity rate. Finally, the extractor fan speeds were obtained for various feed rates and leaf–stalk ratios under impurity rates of 5%, 6%, 7%, and 8%. This research can guide in controlling the extractor fan speed during sugarcane chopper harvester field operations and can serve as a foundation for extractor fan design.

Keywords: chopper; sugarcane harvester; extractor; gas–solid coupling; CFD–DEM (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 references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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