Bionic design and performance test of maize grain cleaning screen through earthworm motion characteristics

The maize mixture feeding with a large mass cannot be migrated backward rapidly along the planar reciprocating vibrating screen, and it is easy to accumulate in the front of the screen, which leads to the decrease of screening efficiency. Based on the reverse engineering technology, using the wavy geometry formed during the earthworm (Pheretima guillelmi) moving as a bionic prototype, a bionic screen was designed to make the maize mixture migrate backward rapidly in the front of the screen. The contour curve of earthworm’s head in an axial contracted state was extracted and fitted to obtain its equation. Based on the difference of concave position of the lower surface’s wavy geometry during the earthworm moving, the motion of the bionic screen was divided into four postures, and the conversion between different postures of the bionic screen was realized by the cam drive mechanism. The kinematics simulation of the bionic screen was carried out through ADAMS, and the displacement and velocity of the bionic screen were analyzed. When the feeding mass of the maize mixture was set at 5 kg/s, 6 kg/s and 7 kg/s, the test results showed that the time of the maize mixture migrated (TOMMM) in the front of the bionic screen was shortened by 0.18 s, 0.71 s, and 1.36 s, respectively, compared with that of planar reciprocating vibrating screen. The total screening time (TST) of the bionic screen was shortened by 1.28 s, 1.33 s, and 1.53 s, respectively. The ability of the maize mixture to be migrated backward was improved. This study can provide a reference for the innovative design of the cleaning screen. Keywords: cleaning screen, maize grain harvester, material accumulation, earthworm, bionic design, motion characteristics DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20211403.6534 Citation: Wang L J, Yu Y T, Zhang S, Feng X, Song L L. Bionic design and performance test of maize grain cleaning screen through earthworm motion characteristics. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2021; 14(3): 12–21.

[2]  Colin Webb,et al.  Discrete particle motion on sieves—a numerical study using the DEM simulation , 2003 .

[4]  Aibing Yu,et al.  Optimisation of a circularly vibrating screen based on DEM simulation and Taguchi orthogonal experimental design , 2017 .

[5]  Zheng Ma,et al.  Discrete-element method simulation of agricultural particles' motion in variable-amplitude screen box , 2015, Comput. Electron. Agric..

[6]  Jinwu Wang,et al.  Structure optimization of cam executive component and analysis of precisely applying deep-fertilization liquid fertilizer , 2019, International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

[7]  Chenlong Duan,et al.  Kinematics of variable-amplitude screen and analysis of particle behavior during the process of coal screening , 2017 .

[8]  Aibing Yu,et al.  Numerical simulation of the particle flow and sieving behaviour on sieve bend/low head screen combination , 2012 .

[9]  W. Saeys,et al.  Development and testing of a multi-duct cleaning device for tangential-longitudinal flow rice combine harvesters , 2019, Biosystems Engineering.

[10]  Giuseppe Quaglia,et al.  Design of a self-leveling cam mechanism for a stair climbing wheelchair , 2017 .

[11]  Salavat Mudarisov,et al.  Mathematical modeling and research of the work of the grain combine harvester cleaning system , 2019, Comput. Electron. Agric..

[12]  Yaoming Li,et al.  Theoretical analysis of micro-vibration between a high moisture content rape stalk and a non-smooth surface of a reciprocating metal cleaning screen matrix , 2015 .

[13]  Ute Dreher,et al.  The Locomotion Of Soft Bodied Animals , 2016 .

[14]  Zhang Dongxing,et al.  Development and application of mechanized maize harvesters , 2016 .

[15]  J. Tong,et al.  Design of a Bionic Blade for Vegetable Chopper , 2017 .

[18]  Hong Wang,et al.  DEM simulation of particle flow on a single deck banana screen , 2013 .

[19]  Zhan Zhao,et al.  Dispersion and migration of agricultural particles in a variable-amplitude screen box based on the discrete element method , 2017, Comput. Electron. Agric..

[20]  Quillin,et al.  Kinematic scaling of locomotion by hydrostatic animals: ontogeny of peristaltic crawling by the earthworm lumbricus terrestris , 1999, The Journal of experimental biology.

[21]  Luquan Ren,et al.  Progress in the bionic study on anti-adhesion and resistance reduction of terrain machines , 2009 .

[22]  Changying Li,et al.  Design of Bionic Saw Blade for Corn Stalk Cutting , 2013 .