Simulation Analysis and Test on the Effect of Picking Up the Residual Film of Typical Film Lifting Parts

Abstract

The agronomic technology of whole plastic-film mulching on double ridges has been widely promoted in the arid region of northwest China, which has caused serious residual film pollution in the field. Mechanized residual plastic-film collecting is the main way, but this way of residual plastic-film collecting is more complicated. To prove the effect of typical film-lifting parts on residual plastic-film collecting performance by a numerical simulation method, further evaluate and select the working parts suitable for residual plastic-film collecting and improve the collecting efficiency, virtual whole plastic-film mulching on double ridges needs to be established. In this study, the film-lifting parts and the double ridge with flexible, deformable, mulching, film interaction model was developed using the discrete element method (DEM). The interaction model was used to simulate the operation process of a typical third-order shovel, hug plate and elastic teeth film-lifting parts. Furthermore, the operation resistance, seed bed disturbance and collecting residual film form under different working conditions were analyzed. The simulation results show that: the disturbance of the ridge from strong to weak is the third-order shovel, elastic teeth and hug plate film-lifting parts; the crushing of the ridge soil from strong to weak is the elastic teeth, the hug plate and the third-order shovel film-lifting parts; the collecting film from strong to weak is the hug plate, elastic teeth and the third-order shovel film-lifting parts; the median value of the horizontal force fluctuation range of the ridge soil on the film-lifting parts is increased, and the increase trend is from large to small in the third-order shovel, elastic teeth and hug plate film-lifting parts (the third-order shovel is 5250 N, 6250 N and 7750 N; the hug plate is 3250 N, 3500 N and 4000 N; and the elastic teeth are 4150 N, 4550 N and 5450 N). The comparative analysis results show that the hug plate film-lifting parts are more suitable for the residual-film collecting of whole plastic-film mulching on double ridges. Field trials were carried out to verify the operational effectiveness of the hug plate film-lifting parts. The results show that the morphological changes of the recovered residual film and the simulated mulching film during the operation of the hug plate-type residual film machine, and the distribution of the surface properties of the ridge after the residual-film collecting are basically consistent with the simulation results, and the film pick-up rate of hug plate film-lifting parts reaches 95.20%, and the established discrete element interaction model is reliable. The research results can provide reference for the research and development of full film duopoly furrow-mechanized residual film-collecting agricultural equipment in the arid region of northwest China.