A multi-scale biomechanical model based on the physiological structure and lignocellulose components of wheat straw

Area of Science:

• Biomechanical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Efficient utilization of wheat straw for fuel and materials requires understanding its biomechanical properties.
• Lignocellulose composition significantly influences material behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a multi-scale finite element model for wheat straw.
• To investigate the impact of lignocellulose components on wheat straw's biomechanical behavior.

Main Methods:

• Tensile experiments and lignocellulose analysis on three wheat straw types.
• Development of a multi-scale finite element model (microscopic and macroscopic).
• Simulation using ANSYS software and validation against experimental data.

Main Results:

• The validated multi-scale finite element model accurately predicted wheat straw's stress-strain behavior.
• Cellulose fibers carry over 80% of the stress.
• Amorphous cellulose primarily bears the strain.

Conclusions:

• The developed multi-scale FE model is effective for analyzing wheat straw biomechanics.
• Lignocellulose composition, particularly cellulose, is critical for wheat straw's mechanical properties.
• This research provides insights for optimizing wheat straw utilization in renewable applications.