Simulating Soil–Disc Plough Interaction Using Discrete Element Method–Multi-Body Dynamic Coupling

Abstract

Due to their (a) lower draught force requirements and (b) ability to work at deeper operation depths and faster operation speeds, disc ploughs have gained interest in Australia. A modified version of the disc plough that involves removing every second disc and fitting larger and often more concave discs has become popular. However, the development of the one-way modified disc plough is in its infancy, and a detailed analysis is required, particularly on soil movement. Historically, the soil movement analysis of the soil–tool interactions is conducted using empirical methods. However, the experimental tests are resource and labour intensive. When the soil and tool interaction can be accurately modelled, more efficient tools can be designed without performing expensive field tests, which may only be undertaken at certain times of the year. This study modelled the interaction between soil and a one-way modified disc plough using the discrete element method (DEM). As the disc plough is a passive-driven tool, the rotational speed of the disc plough was modelled using DEM-MBD (multi-body dynamic) coupling. The results of the study show that DEM-MBD coupling can predict the rotational speed of the disc plough with a maximum relative error of 6.9%, and a good correlation was obtained between the DEM-predicted and actual soil movement (R2 = 0.68).