Design and Experimental Study of a Spiral Auxiliary Feeding Device for Lodged Corn on a Combine Harvester

Highlights This study designed an auxiliary feeding device for lodged corn on a combine harvester. The mechanical characteristics of lodged corn stalks were studied as the basis of the design. The working parameters were optimized in an orthogonal experiment. Abstract . Lodging causes kernel and ear loss in mechanical harvesting of corn and threatens grain security. To address this issue, the mechanical bending properties and lifting forces of lodged corn stalks were explored in this study. The ears of lodged corn could be lifted to the normal harvesting height by applying an upward force to the stalks. Based on this conclusion, an auxiliary feeding device for lodged corn in a combine harvester was designed. An orthogonal optimization experiment was conducted to explore the effects of working parameters on the device performance. The results demonstrated that the sequence of the factors affecting kernel loss with the auxiliary feeding device was: harvesting direction, forward speed of the harvester, and rotating speed of the spiral stalk lifter. The optimal combination of harvester forward speed and rotating speed of the spiral stalk lifter was 0.5 m s-1 and 300 rpm, and the ratio of the peripheral speed to the speed of motion was 9.42. The optimal harvesting direction was opposite to the lodging direction of the stalks. This study provides a theoretical basis and design reference for low-loss harvesting of lodged corn. Keywords: Auxiliary feeding, Combine harvester, Corn, Harvest loss, Lodging, Orthogonal experiment.