Viscosity Reduction and Drag Reduction Performance Analysis of Bionic Excavator Buckets Based on Discrete Element...

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Biomimetics
• Geotechnical Engineering

Background:

• Traditional excavator buckets face challenges like high digging resistance and soil adhesion.
• Existing designs often lack efficiency in diverse soil conditions.
• Need for innovative solutions to enhance excavator performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate bionic excavator buckets inspired by natural forms.
• To reduce digging resistance and soil adhesion in excavator operations.
• To provide a theoretical and design basis for improved excavator bucket technology.

Main Methods:

• Designed seven bionic bucket types and a prototype based on earthworm and pangolin claw contours.
• Simulated digging processes using the discrete element method (DEM).
• Conducted contact force field analysis to understand interaction mechanics.

Main Results:

• All bionic buckets demonstrated significant drag reduction compared to the prototype.
• Drag reduction increased as digging speed decreased, with composite bionic bucket-3 achieving 14.469% reduction at 2 rad/s.
• Bionic buckets caused greater soil particle disturbance due to incomplete contact, reducing excavation resistance.

Conclusions:

• Bionic designs, particularly the composite bionic bucket-3, effectively reduce excavation resistance.
• The corrugated structure minimizes contact area, enhancing soil-particle relative velocity and reducing drag.
• This research offers a foundation for developing more efficient and effective excavator buckets.