Dynamic Cutting Performance Test and Parameter Optimization of Longicorn Bionic Blade for Industrial Hemp Harvester

Abstract

In response to the unclear issue of whether the dynamic cutting performance and structural parameters of an industrial hemp blade, which was developed earlier based on the bionic prototype of the batocera horsfieldi, can be optimized in actual working conditions, this paper analyzes the effective clamping conditions of a reciprocating double-acting cutting blade for stalks and the cutting motion. To investigate the effect of different structural and motion parameters, as well as their interactions, of the bionic blade on cutting energy consumption, bionic blades with different combinations of tooth pitch and tooth angle were designed. A Box–Behnken response surface method with three factors and three levels was used to design an experimental scheme. Utilizing rigid-flexible coupling numerical simulation technology, numerical simulation experiments were conducted to investigate the cutting performance of industrial hemp stalks using the blade. A regression model for cutting energy consumption was established, and variance analysis indicated that tooth angle, speed ratio, and the interaction between tooth angle and speed ratio had an extremely significant effect on the regression model. The primary and secondary orders of factors affecting cutting energy consumption were determined to be: speed ratio > tooth angle > tooth pitch. Through optimization, the optimal parameter combination was found to be a blade tooth pitch of 6.61 mm, a tooth angle of 30°, and a speed ratio of 1.62. Under these conditions, the cutting energy consumption was 3947.99 mJ. The optimized parameters were verified through numerical simulation cutting experiments, and the results showed that the error compared with the optimization results was only 8.16%. This indicates that the optimization results have high credibility and further verifies the reliability of the model. This study can provide a reference for the development of cutting devices for industrial hemp harvesters and the selection of motion parameters.

Study on the Impact of Cutting Platform Vibration on Stalk Cutting Quality in Industrial Hemp

“…Addressing the unclear dynamic cutting performance and optimization potential of the previously developed biomimetic industrial hemp blades in practical conditions, Tian K. P. et al utilized numerical simulation techniques to investigate the impact of biomimetic blade parameters, such as tooth spacing, tooth inclination angle, and speed ratio coefficient, on cutting energy consumption. The study determined the optimal structural and motion parameter combination for biomimetic blades and further validated the model's reliability [4].…”

“…Ref. [4] conducted experiments and parameter optimization research on the dynamic cutting performance of industrial hemp harvester's beetle-inspired blades but did not consider the impact of cutting platform vibration on cutting performance. In this study, based on the stalk cutting numerical simulation model constructed in that reference, an additional vertical ground-direction vibration excitation was applied to study the effect of vibration on cutting performance.…”

“…Due to its low THC content, industrial hemp lacks drug utility but possesses excellent fiber characteristics, leading to widespread legal cultivation in various regions worldwide. It serves as a crucial raw material in industries such as textiles, papermaking, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and military equipment [4][5][6][7][8].…”

“…During field operations of industrial hemp harvesters, in addition to the lateral reciprocating cutting motion and the random forward movement of the cutting device, the vibration induced by the ground roughness of the hemp field and the motion of machine working components were an other important forms of motion for the blades (The overall structure of the industrial hemp harvester and the detailed structure of the cutting unit, as well as the power transmission diagram, are shown in Figures 1 and 2 of Ref. [4], respectively). Existing relevant research primarily focuses on the impact of factors, such as the type of cutting blades, blade structural parameters, cutting speed, and forward speed on cutting performance.…”

Research on the Construction of a Finite Element Model and Parameter Calibration for Industrial Hemp Stalks

“…Industrial hemp is a form of the cannabis plant with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content below 0.3%, which does not possess any narcotic value [1,2]. Hemp has broad application prospects in fields such as textiles, papermaking, cosmetics, medicine, and composite materials [3][4][5][6][7].…”