DEM Simulation and Experimental Validation of the Performance of an Orchard Deep Applicator for Manure

Green, healthy and sustainable development is the development direction of China’s agriculture, and stable fertilizer has become the first choice for orchard fertilizer. In this paper, in order to improve the working performance of the combined fertilizer application device of 2KF-30 type orchard stable fertilizer deep applicator, the matching degree of the combined operation of scraper and auger was taken as the research objective, and theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental verification were combined to carry out the research. Applying fuzzy theory, the comprehensive qualified rate weighted by the uniformity of fertilization and the qualified rate of fertilization was proposed as the evaluation index. The scraper shaft speed, scraper space, spiral conveyor speed, and spiral conveyor pitch were selected as the test factors, and the comprehensive qualified rate of fertilization for the combined fertilization device was taken as the evaluation index. The test design was carried out by single-factor and response surface method tests, and numerical simulations were conducted by discrete element software to analyze the optimal combination of fertilizer application parameters. The test results were analyzed based on the numerical simulation of discrete element software. The testbed was set up to verify the above optimal results. The results showed that the maximum error between the physical test and the numerical simulation was 8.67%, the minimum error was 1.75% and the overall mean error between the physical test value of the combined fertilizer application pass rate and the predicted value of the quadratic regression equation was 5.99%, which can meet the operational performance requirements of the fertilization device. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the design and improvement of the deep fertilizing machine for orchard manure.