Measurement and Calibration of the Parameters for Discrete Element Method Modeling of Rapeseed

Abstract

The discrete element method (DEM) for modeling the behavior of particulate material is highly dependent on the use of appropriate and accurate parameters. In this study, a seed metering DEM simulation was used to measure, calibrate, and verify the physical and interactional parameters of rapeseed. The coefficients of restitution and static friction between rapeseeds and three common materials (aluminum alloy, acrylic, and high-density polyethylene) were measured using free drop and sliding ramp tests, respectively. The angle of repose was determined using a hollow cylinder experiment, which was duplicated using a DEM simulation, to examine the effects of static and rolling friction coefficients on the angle of repose. Response surface optimization was performed to determine the optimized model parameters using a Box–Behnken design test. A metering device was made with three materials, and rapeseed seeding was simulated at different working speeds to verify the calibrated parameters. The validation results showed that the relative errors between the seed metering model and experiments for the single qualified seeding, missed seeding, and multiple seeding rates were −0.15%, 3.29%, and 5.37%, respectively. The results suggest that the determined physical and interactional parameters of rapeseed can be used as references for future DEM simulations.