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Air drill Seeder Distributor Head Evaluation: A Comparison between Laboratory Tests and Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations

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Information and Communication Technologies for Agriculture—Theme II: Data

Part of the book series: Springer Optimization and Its Applications ((SOIA,volume 183))

Abstract

In this work, a commercial distributor head is evaluated. In parallel, both numerical simulations and laboratory tests, in a bench test belonging to the National University of Rosario, are carried out. This test bench has been built to evaluate components of air drill seeder’s pneumatic transport and distribution system. Soybean (Glycine max) seeds are used in the experimental tests. In Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, soybean seeds are modeled as spherical, rigid, and uniform size particles. The CFD simulations of the air-seed mixture are carried out with the commercial software ANSYS Fluent, and particle trajectories are numerically computed using a Lagrangian approach. A two-way coupling method is used, named Discrete Phase Model (DPM). Results show that numerical simulations are consistent with the laboratory tests, obtained in controlled trials. In both cases, the highest flow rates of seeds are produced in frontal outlets, while rear outlets present the lowest flow.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Faculty of Exact Sciences, Engineering and Surveying (FCEIA) of the National University of Rosario (UNR), the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI), and National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) for making possible the development of this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIFASIS, French Argentine International Center for Information and Systems Sciences, National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) and the National University of Rosario (UNR), Rosario, Argentina

    Ignacio Rubio Scola

  2. National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI), Rosario, Argentina

    Sebastián Rossi

  3. National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) and the National University of Rosario (UNR), Rosario, Argentina

    Gastón Bourges

Authors
  1. Ignacio Rubio Scola
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  2. Sebastián Rossi
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  3. Gastón Bourges
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ignacio Rubio Scola .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Bio-economy and Agri-technology (iBO), Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thessaloniki, Greece

    Dionysis D. Bochtis

  2. School of Agriculture, Aristotle Univeristy of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Dimitrios E. Moshou

  3. Institute for Bio-economy and Agri-technology (iBO), Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thessaloniki, Greece

    Giorgos Vasileiadis

  4. Institute for Bio-economy and Agri-technology (iBO), Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thessaloniki, Greece

    Athanasios Balafoutis

  5. Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Panos M. Pardalos

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Rubio Scola, I., Rossi, S., Bourges, G. (2022). Air drill Seeder Distributor Head Evaluation: A Comparison between Laboratory Tests and Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations. In: Bochtis, D.D., Moshou, D.E., Vasileiadis, G., Balafoutis, A., Pardalos, P.M. (eds) Information and Communication Technologies for Agriculture—Theme II: Data. Springer Optimization and Its Applications, vol 183. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84148-5_8

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