Performance analysis of mouldboard plough body with raised elements and frame based on numerical simulation

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Engineering
• Soil Mechanics
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Mouldboard plough design is critical for soil cultivation efficiency.
• Understanding the impact of operational parameters on plough performance is essential.
• Numerical simulations offer a powerful tool for analyzing complex agricultural machinery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and analyze the performance of a novel mouldboard plough.
• To investigate the influence of forward speed, lugs angle, and convex structure radius on plough performance.
• To evaluate the structural integrity and dynamic behavior of the plough frame.

Main Methods:

• Discrete Element Method (DEM) for soil-plough interaction analysis.
• Response Surface Method (RSM) for parameter optimization.
• Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for static, modal, and harmonic response analysis of the frame.

Main Results:

• Forward speed, lugs angle, and convex radius significantly influence soil penetration resistance and soil disturbance.
• Optimal parameters determined: 0.8 m/s forward speed, 45° lugs angle, 9 mm convex structure radius.
• Plough frame meets static requirements (max stress 24.7 MPa, max deformation 0.02 mm) and avoids resonance (natural frequency 92 Hz).

Conclusions:

• The designed mouldboard plough demonstrates optimized performance through numerical simulations.
• The identified optimal parameters ensure efficient soil engagement and disturbance.
• The plough frame exhibits robust structural integrity and dynamic stability under operational loads.