Optimization of separation of two-component mixtures of seeds under horizontal vibration

Abstract

The paper presents data on the separation of two-component mixtures of agricultural seeds by means of low-frequency horizontal vibration. Experiments were carried out with beans, peas and sunflower seeds. Modelling of the separation process of mixtures by the method studied in this work shows that the trajectory of a particle is a vortex along an ascending or descending line, depending on the combination of the properties of the components and operating parameters. The studies have shown that the minimum time for complete separation of the mixture into components is achieved when the container inclination angle is approximately equal to the repose angle of mixture components. The separation process is carried out only at amplitudes smaller than the particle size of the mixture.