Analysis of Seed Sorting Process by Estimation of Seed Motion Trajectories

Abstract

Abstract. Seed sorting is a mechanical process in which the goal is to achieve a high level of purity and quality in the final product. Prediction and control of such processes are generally considered very difficult. One possible solution is a systems identification approach in which the seeds and their movement are directly observed and data about important process parameters extracted. Image analysis was used to extract such data from the internal sorting process in one particular seed sorting device -the so-called "indented cylinder". Twenty high speed image sequences were recorded of the indented cylinder in action, sorting a batch of barley with both whole and broken kernels. The motion trajectories and angle of escape for each seed in each frame were estimated. Motion trajectories and frequency distributions for the angle of escape are shown for different velocities and pocket sizes. A possible linear relationship is shown to exist between velocity and the angle. The temporal stability of certain parameters in the sorting process were also analysed and is shown to be quite stable for lower velocities.

DEM Study of the Motion Characteristics of Rice Particles in the Indented Cylinder Separator

“…Buus O.T. et al [ 10 ] used high-speed cameras to extract the trajectory of rice grains during the separating process and invert the escape angle by obtaining information on the position of the grains, achieving a breakthrough in the traditional “black box” test. Liao et al [ 11 ] applied particle tracer technology (PTV) and image processing to investigate the effect of drum speed and filling rate on the separation of particles within the drum and applied shape indices to quantitatively characterize the degree of segregation.…”

Study of the Quality of Barley Cleaning with Indented Cylinder from Grain Impurities

“…Danish scientists Ole Thomsen Buus, Johannes Ravn Jørgensen, and Jens Michael Carstensen investigated the process of particle fallout from the cells of a grating cylinder and their trajectories using high-speed video filming [1]. The authors have established regularity of the average values of the angle of precipitation of particles from the rotation speed of the indented cylinder for a simulated grain mixture, consisting of 50% whole and 50% crushed barley grains.…”