EDEM-based study on the adjustable feeding parameters of square bale maize straw bale-breaking device

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Engineering
• Material Processing
• Mechanical Design

Background:

• Small rubbing filament machines face challenges processing variable straw sizes.
• Locally baled straw's inconsistent dimensions complicate single-device processing.
• A need exists for improved feeding and bale-breaking mechanisms for straw utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test an adjustable feeding and bale-breaking device for enhancing baled straw's filamentous performance.
• To analyze the forces and optimize parameters for straw processing.
• To provide a foundation for developing small, multipurpose straw rubbing filament machines.

Main Methods:

• Design and integration of bale-breaking knives with feeding and bale-breaking rollers.
• Development of a discrete element simulation model for square baled straw.
• Application of a 3D quadratic regression orthogonal rotation central combination experiment with response surface methodology.

Main Results:

• Identified significant factors affecting bonding bond destruction rate (Y1) and particle average speed (Y2).
• Determined optimal parameters: 1448 rpm (roller speed), 268 mm (roller height), and 14 (knife quantity).
• Achieved 96.95% straw rubbing rate and 235.13 kg/(kW·h) per unit power productivity in verification tests.

Conclusions:

• The adjustable feeding and bale-breaking device effectively enhances productivity and breaking performance.
• The developed device meets design requirements for straw grain size for comprehensive utilization.
• This research provides a basis for further development of small, multipurpose straw rubbing filament machines.