Abstract
Soil adhesion is a major problem for agricultural machinery, especially in sticky soils within the plastic range. One promising and practical way to minimize soil–tool adhesion is to modify the surface geometry to one inspired by soil-burrowing animals. In this study, 27 domed discs were fabricated according to an L27 (33) Taguchi orthogonal array and tested to determine the optimal dimensions of domed surfaces to reduce drag force. The optimized domed disc was tested in a soil bin under different soil conditions (soil texture: silty loam and sandy clay loam; soil moisture content: 23%, 30%, and 37%). All trials included a flat disc (without a dome pattern) as a control. The optimal dimensions of domed surfaces to generate the lowest possible drag force under the present experimental conditions were explored based on signal-to-noise ratio analysis. The optimal levels of control parameters were found at a surface coverage ratio of 60%, dome height of 5 mm, and dome base diameter of 20 mm. Statistics revealed that the dome height-to-diameter ratio and disc coverage ratio are crucial factors that influence the drag force of domed surfaces. In contrast, the dome base diameter had a limited influence on drag force. In all treatments, the drag force of the optimized domed disc was less than that of the flat disc (by about 9% to 25%, according to soil conditions). Accordingly, it can be concluded that adequately designed domed surfaces could significantly reduce the drag force in sticky soil compared to their flat counterparts.
Highlights
In most soil-engaging parts in tillage and planting tools, the soil slides tangentially along the tool surface
The sliding resistance along the soil–tool interface is determined by three forces that interact: (i) structural resistance to soil particle displacement, (ii) frictional resistance to transfer between individual soil particles, and (iii) resistance produced by soil–tool adhesion [1]
The results revealed that domed discs with a dome height-to-diameter ratio of 25% had reduced drag force of up to 27.5% (Disc 23) compared to a flat disc, while domed discs with a dome height-to-diameter ratio of 37.5% had increased drag force of up to 20% (Disc 9)
Summary
In most soil-engaging parts in tillage and planting tools, the soil slides tangentially along the tool surface. Soil–tool adhesion can have various implications for agricultural operations, including lowering germination rates [3], increasing energy consumption per unit soil operation [4], and restricting the use of no-tillage planting in sticky soils [5]. Another consequence of soil adhesion phenomena is a considerable reduction in the work efficiency of loading and excavation equipment [6]. Many mechanized agricultural operations are carried out during rice transplanting seasons in Hubei Province, China, such as field flattening, fertilization, and direct seeding During these operations, a large amount of soil clings to soil-engaging components, limiting their efficiency and effectiveness (Figure 1).
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