THE INFLUENCE OF THE EXTERNAL SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY OF GRANULAR PLANT MATERIALS ON EXTERNAL FRICTION

Abstract

The results of studies on external friction concerning granular plant materials that include, among others, grains, seeds of various plants, and powdered plant material, have been applied to the design of machines and devices for transport, sorting, cleaning, and blending. A separate and equally important matter is the storage of these materials in silos. The article presents the influence the surface topography of selected granular materials has upon the force of external friction. The research was performed with a specially designed adapter attached to the testing machine MTS, which is used to determine the external friction force of granular materials rubbing against various surfaces in a function of displacement. To define the topography of the external surface, a 3D scanner and specialized software were used. The authors have attempted to develop a model of friction taking into account the topography of the surface.