Calibration of contact parameters of sandy soil for planting tiger nut based on non-linear tools

Abstract

A methodology combining physical experiments with simulation was employed to acquire contact parameters of sandy soil precisely for planting tiger nuts in the desert area of Xinjiang. The stacking angle under different parameter combinations was applied as a response value. Through the Plackett–Burman test, several factors that have a significant influence were determined. The steepest ascent test was conducted to establish the finest scope of values for these parameters. The stacking angle was considered the response variable, and non-linear tools were used to optimize these parameters for simulation. The findings showed that applying response surface methodology (RSM) resulted in a relative error of 1.24%. In the case of BP-GA, the relative error compared to the physical test value was 0.34%, while for BP, it was 2.18%. After optimization using Wavelet Neural Network (WNN), the relative error was reduced to only 0.15%. Results suggest that WNN outperforms the RSM model, and the sandy soil model and parameters generated using WNN can be effectively utilized for discrete element simulation research.