Abstract
Several studies highlighted that the surface shape modifications which are inspired by the soil-burrowing animals have positively impacted the soil-tool adhesion; however, it is still unclear what the optimum dimensions of the domed surface are for minimizing soil-tool adhesion. In this study, twenty-seven domed discs were created according to Taguchi orthogonal array L27(33) to determine the optimum dimensions of the domed surface that minimize normal adhesion force and disc sinkage simultaneously, as well as comparing the effect of the optimized domed disc versus the flat disc on the normal adhesion force under different soil conditions. The results revealed that disc coverage ratio and dome height to diameter ratio are essential to design parameters that influence the normal adhesion force of discs. According to the signal-to-noise ratio analysis, it was observed that the combination of 60% disc coverage ratio, 25% dome height to diameter ratio, and 10 mm dome base diameter was found to be the most appropriate for the well-balanced improvement of both normal adhesion force and disc sinkage simultaneously. In all treatments, the optimized domed disc produced less normal adhesion force than the flat disc (about 7%-18%, according to soil condition). It can be concluded that properly designed domed surfaces can significantly reduce the normal adhesion force when compared to flat surfaces. Keywords: biomimetics, paddy soil, normal adhesion, disc sinkage, Taguchi method DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20221501.6147 Citation: Salem A E, Zhang G Z, Abdeen M A M, Wang H C, Gao Y. Optimizing the adhesion of soil-touching parts based on biomimetic concepts using the Taguchi method. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2022; 15(1): 147–154.
Highlights
Farmers and agronomists are always looking for ways to improve the efficiency of their agricultural operations
It was observed that disc number 13, i.e., with a disc coverage ratio of 60%, dome height to diameter ratio of 25% and dome base diameter of 10 mm, was the most appropriate for the well-balanced improvement of normal adhesion force (31.4 N) and sinkage (9.08 mm) simultaneously
Note: Fa is the normal adhesion force of test discs; S/N is the signal to noise ratio response values; U is the subsidence of test discs; Δ refers to changes in the normal adhesion force of biomimetic disc with respect to flat disc in the same soil conditions, the negative values of Δ indicate an improvement
Summary
Farmers and agronomists are always looking for ways to improve the efficiency of their agricultural operations. During the rice-planting season, the moisture content of the paddy soil reaches a relatively high value, which explains why the paddy soils have a significant adhesion force and exceptional rheological properties[3-5]. Force requirements of agricultural operations (draft forces and normal forces) are related to the machine geometry, soil characteristics, and operating parameters[7]. Estimating the force requirements for agricultural machinery operation while taking different soil conditions into account is critical for optimizing tool design[8]. Cohesion, and adhesion are the three most important soil characteristics in determining the operating requirements of agricultural machinery. The soil-tool adhesion had caused a significant negative impact on the germination rate[11], increased energy consumption of tillage equipment by 30%-50%[12], decreased the efficiency of the working components[13], and reduced the working productivity of loading and excavating machines by approximately 30%[14]
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