Crushing Modeling and Crushing Characterization of Silage Caragana korshinskii Kom
Wenhang Liu,
Zhihong Yu (),
Aorigele,
Qiang Su,
Xuejie Ma and
Zhixing Liu
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Wenhang Liu: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Zhihong Yu: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Aorigele: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Qiang Su: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Xuejie Ma: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Zhixing Liu: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-23
Abstract:
Caragana korshinskii Kom. (CKB), widely cultivated in Inner Mongolia, China, has potential for silage feed development due to its favorable nutritional characteristics, including a crude protein content of 14.2% and a neutral detergent fiber content below 55%. However, its vascular bundle fiber structure limits the efficiency of lactic acid conversion and negatively impacts silage quality, which can be improved through mechanical crushing. Currently, conventional crushing equipment generally suffers from uneven particle size distribution, high energy consumption, and low processing efficiency. In this study, a layered aggregate model was constructed using the discrete element method (DEM), and the Hertz–Mindlin with Bonding contact model was employed to characterize the heterogeneous mechanical properties between the epidermis and the core. Model accuracy was enhanced through reverse engineering and a multi-particle-size filling strategy. Key parameters were optimized via a Box–Behnken experimental design, with a core normal stiffness of 7.37 × 10 11 N·m −1 , a core shear stiffness of 9.46 × 10 10 N·m −1 , a core shear stress of 2.52 × 10 8 Pa, and a skin normal stiffness of 4.01 × 10 9 N·m −1 . The simulated values for bending, tensile, and compressive failure forces had relative errors of less than 10% compared to experimental results. The results showed that rectangular hammers, due to their larger contact area and more uniform stress distribution, reduced the number of residual bonded contacts by 28.9% and 26.5% compared to stepped and blade-type hammers, respectively. Optimized rotational speed improved dynamic crushing efficiency by 41.3%. The material exhibited spatial heterogeneity, with the mass proportion in the tooth plate impact area reaching 43.91%, which was 23.01% higher than that in the primary hammer crushing area. The relative error between the simulation and bench test results for the crushing rate was 6.18%, and the spatial distribution consistency reached 93.6%, verifying the reliability of the DEM parameter calibration method. This study provides a theoretical basis for the structural optimization of crushing equipment, suppression of circulation layer effects, and the realization of low-energy, high-efficiency processing.
Keywords: silage feed; CKB; discrete element method; crushing characteristics (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: 2025
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