Study on Structure Design and Parameter Optimization of Diversion Rifled Feeder Based on CFD-DEM

Wancheng Dong, Xiongye Zhang, Zhen Jiang, Xue Hu, Yun Ge and Lixin Zhang ()
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Wancheng Dong: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Xiongye Zhang: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Zhen Jiang: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Xue Hu: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Yun Ge: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Lixin Zhang: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-20

Abstract: The feeder, a critical component of pneumatic conveying and distributing fertilizer machines for cotton, significantly impacts cotton quality and yield. This study addresses the limitations of conventional feeders, namely poor delivery stability and insufficient air–fertilizer mixture uniformity, by introducing a novel feeder design incorporating guide-flow chamber vanes. Based on the structural principles of pneumatic fertilizer distribution and the theory of vortex flow feeding, the new feeder design was developed and analyzed using a CFD-DEM coupled model to simulate its operational process. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize key structural parameters, aiming to enhance both air–fertilizer mixture uniformity and fertilizer delivery stability. The optimized design features two guide vanes, a fertilizer discharge contraction angle of 23.2°, and eight chamber lines. Validation through simulation confirmed the model’s reliability, with a discrepancy of less than 5% between simulated and predicted values. Experimental validation on a pneumatic fertilizing test prototype further demonstrated the effectiveness of the optimization, resulting in a feeder stability coefficient of variation of 13.30% and a coefficient of variation in fertilizer distribution across the system’s branches of 3.96%, satisfying practical operational requirements. After optimization, the stability and uniformity of the feeder fertilizer are significantly improved. The optimized feeder design effectively improves the stability and air–fertilizer mixing uniformity of cotton pneumatic fertilizing machines, providing valuable theoretical and technical support for their design optimization and performance enhancement.

Keywords: pneumatic conveying and distributing fertilizer machine; feeder; vortex flow feeding; gas–solid coupling; parameter optimization (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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