Optimization of Working Parameters for Rotary-Cutting Soil Collection Device: Experiment and Simulation

The purpose of this study was to address the problem of the poor quality of rotary cutting and soil collection during the process of mechanical ridge building in paddy fields. In order to improve the soil collection rate and decrease the coefficient of variation of soil collection uniformity, the present work mainly combined the advanced rotary-cutting and tillage technology and the rotary-cutting soil collection device, at domestic and international, to study the motion characteristics and distribution situation of soil particles during rotary-cutting and soil collection operations. The test of rotary-cutting soil collection device was simulated by using the EDEM2018 Version: 4.0.0, the accuracy of numerical model was validated by the data of trial test. The results of the single-factor experiment indicated that the working speed level of the rotary blades was 450 r/min to 550 r/min, the operating speed level of the rotary blades was 0.6 km/h to 1.0 km/h, and the tilling depth level of the rotary blades was 180 mm to 200 mm. Moreover, the operating parameter of the rotary-cutting soil collection device were obtained by a multi-factor test, and it was proved that the rotary-cutting soil collection device performed better and the soil collection quality was higher, with a soil collection rate and a coefficient of variation of soil collection uniformity of 87.22% and 6.73%. This study could provide technical support for the research of rotary tillage devices and improve the level of mechanized ridge building in paddy fields.