A roll‐type corona discharge–electrostatic separator for separating wheat grain and straw particles

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AbstractDifferent methods such as mechanical, pneumatic, and electrical techniques have been used in the separation process of impurities from agricultural products. In electrical systems, three methods, that is, triboelectrostatic, free fall, and roll type with high‐voltage corona discharge electrodes, are usually used. In the present study, separation trajectory of grain and wheat straw are firstly predicted using simulation of roll‐type corona system configuration in COMSOL Multiphysics and MATLAB. Experimental tests are conducted to determine the separation performance of a roll‐type corona apparatus with 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 kV voltages at 50, 70, and 90 rpm drum rotational speeds. The simulation results showed that the trajectory of the grain particles deviated from that of straw when the voltage increased from 10 to 30 kV as well as increasing the rotational speed from 50 to 90 rpm. Although the rotational speed of 70 rpm resulted in a good separation of grains from straw particles, increasing the speed to 90 rpm not only did not improve the separation performance but also caused a dispersal of the particles and reduced the separation quality. The simulation results were in good accordance with the experimental results obtained from the developed prototype.Practical applicationsThe results of this study can be used in configuration optimization design of “Corona Type Cylindrical Electrostatic Separation” for separating seed and straw in agriculture production, especially where they cannot be separated by conventional methods.