Damage to seeds by screw working bodies

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Seed damage from agricultural machinery screw components reduces crop yield and increases production costs.
• Understanding the impact dynamics of seeds on screw flights is crucial for minimizing damage during agricultural processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact interaction between seeds and screw flights during transportation.
• To determine factors influencing seed damage and potential energy loss.
• To propose design and operational adjustments for reducing seed destruction.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of seed impact and reflection velocities on screw surfaces.
• Determination of potential energy loss during seed-screw interaction.
• Investigation of auger geometric and kinematic parameters' influence on seed damage.

Main Results:

• Seed damage is dependent on impact velocity, auger geometry (diameter, helix angle, angular velocity), and material properties (recovery, friction coefficients).
• Reducing screw flight inclination angle, angular speed, and radius minimizes seed destruction.
• Directing seed flow towards the center of rotation further reduces damage.

Conclusions:

• Minimizing seed damage requires optimizing screw design parameters like pitch and material (e.g., polymers).
• Increasing the critical angular velocity of the screw is essential for reducing seed injury.
• Adjusting auger geometry and seed flow can significantly improve seed quality in agricultural machinery.