Stress distribution on a soil tillage machine frame segment with a chisel shank simulated using discrete element and finite element methods and validate by experiment

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Soil tillage machinery must be highly reliable during its operation. For a limited time following harvest, tillage machines must perform a significant amount of work, and any downtime has a significant negative impact on farm economics. For this reason, manufacturers of agricultural machinery aim to design machines that are both reliable and inexpensive. The development of technologies, especially electronics, has led to completely new possibilities for the design and optimisation of agricultural machinery. During work, a tillage machine may not only be loaded by its own weight, but also by the interaction of any tools interacting with the soil that transmit loads to itsframe. To analyse loads a numerical model of tillage machine was compiled. The stresses acting on the chisel shank during tillage were simulated using a numerical model. The frame of the agricultural machine was also simulated with particular emphasis on the locations where the stresses could be measured. Strain gauges were attached at the same locations in a real-life model, and predicted stress values verified experimentally. A discrete element method (DEM) model was used to create and optimise a comprehensive soil model, and its results were used in a finite element method (FEM) model for a transient analysis. The results from the experimental stress measurements and simulation data from the model showed good agreement. Therefore, the procedures of this study can therefore be used for the design and optimisation of tillage machinery. • Determination of stress on chisel shank and tillage machine frame. • Soil model penetration resistance was modelled using DEM. • Transient task analysis made by ANSYS using FEM. • Calibrated DEM and FEM results were validated by field tests.