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DEM study on threshing performance of “compression–oscillation” thresher

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Abstract

Threshing of wheat is a fundamental post-harvest operation to isolate grains from straw, leading to further processing and storage. This study introduces a promising and power-efficient technology named as “Compression–Oscillation” threshing, which relies on cyclic frictional squeezing rather than beating as in conventional threshers. Discrete element method simulation was used to model the physical characteristics of wheat spikes and grains as well as interaction properties such as bonding, coefficient of restitution, static and rolling friction. Concave clearance and rotor drum speed sensitivity were studied in terms of compressive force and threshing performance in the system. The achieved threshing efficiency is 98.0% at rotor drum speed of 350 rpm at concave clearance of 4.5 mm and throughput of 6 tons per hour. Results indicate that this technology could supersede the existing beater technology. Determination of wheat grain detachment strength, role of oscillation on the wheat grain bonding strength and development of full-scale commercial machine are suggested as future work.

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Abbreviations

C c :

Concave clearance, mm

f cv :

Concave oscillation frequency, Hz

A cv :

Concave oscillation amplitude

Β :

Damping ratio

C n :

Normal damping coefficient

C t :

Tangential damping coefficient

E :

Young modulus, MPa

E :

Coefficient of restitution

e p :

Coefficient of particle–particle restitution

e d :

Coefficient of particle–drum restitution

F c :

Compressive force, N

F dn :

Normal damping forces, N

F dt :

Tangential damping forces, N

F n :

Normal force, N

P t :

Threshing power, KW

F s :

Friction force, N

F t :

Force tangential to surface, N

G :

Shear modulus, MPa

M c :

Moisture content, %

N :

Number of cycles to failure of wheat grain bond

K H :

Hertz constant

m i :

Unit mass of wheat spike, g

S e :

Endurance limit of wheat grain bond, MPa

S n :

Normal stiffness of the wheat grain bond, MPa

F crush :

Crushing threshold (N)

d s :

Grain to straw bond diameter (mm)

R B :

Radius of the glue

v n :

Normal velocity of particles, m/s

vt:

Normal velocity of particles, m/s

ρ s :

Solid density, kg/m3

R :

Radii of curvature on the contact point, m

δ :

Particle overlap, m

T :

Total time duration of simulation, s

t s :

Time step of simulation, s

τ :

Rotor drum torque, N-m

ν:

Poisson’s ratio

v :

Linear velocity of the particle

µ r :

Coefficient of rolling friction

µ rf :

Coefficient of particle–particle rolling friction

µ rd :

Coefficient of particle–wall rolling friction

µ s :

Coefficient of static friction

µ sp :

Coefficient of particle–particle static friction

µ sd :

Coefficient of particle–wall static friction

v n,rel :

Relative normal velocity, m/s

v t,rel :

Relative tangential velocity, m/s

N R :

Threshing drum speed (rpm)

J :

Polar moment of inertia

S t :

Shear stiffness of the grain bond, MPa

F det :

Detachment threshold force (N)

Q :

Thresher capacity (tons/hour)

A s :

Area of the grain–straw bond (mm2

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Acknowledgements

The paper is the part of PhD studies of the first author (Adil Naseer Khawaja).

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The authors have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

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  1. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture Science and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60800, Pakistan

    Adil Naseer Khawaja & Zahid Mahmood Khan

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  1. Adil Naseer Khawaja
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Khawaja, A.N., Khan, Z.M. DEM study on threshing performance of “compression–oscillation” thresher. Comp. Part. Mech. 9, 1233–1248 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40571-021-00456-4

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