Influence of operating parameters of a multi-cutter milling rotor on particle size

Abstract

Controlling particle size presented challenges during cold pavement reclaiming machine operation. The entire milling rotor was investigated to overcome the limitations of single-tool research. Firstly, the discrete element method was employed to construct a model of milling particles and old-asphalt-pavement. Secondly, a multi-cutter rotor milling pavement model was established through complete factorial testing, exploring the influence of operating parameters on performance and particle size. Finally, a cold pavement reclaiming machine performance prediction system was developed. Results demonstrated that matched moving and rotor speeds effectively regulated particle size. For instance, at a milling depth of 80 mm, setting the rotor speed to 2.5 r/s and moving speed to 0.25 m/s was recommended. Furthermore, the prediction system precisely estimated particle bonding ratio, mixing flow rate, and average torque, with average prediction errors of 6.1%, 3.5%, and 9.4%, respectively. It effectively forecasted particle size when particle bonding ratio ranged from 10% to 25%.