Development of seed openers using modeling and experimental approaches

加拿大和世界上许多国家的农业都涉及大型农业机械。在这些机器中，播种机已经从小型播种机发展到大型空气播种机，这大大提高了田间效率（每小时英亩数）。为了追求规模经济，今天的谷物和油籽农场已经从几百英亩扩大到几千英亩。同时，农民必须在与以前相同的天气窗口内完成播种作业。这需要播种机以高速（超过8公里/小时）行驶。然而，较高的行进速度会引起较高的土壤扰动，从而对播种性能产生不利影响，从而影响作物的出苗和生长。该项目是为大型农业设备制造商Buhler Versatile Inc. （Versatile）开发一种低土壤干扰、高效率的空气播种机。自2011年以来，开发新的空气播播机产品线已成为公司的首要任务，为此，公司在NSERC参与项目的范围内寻求马尼托巴大学（UM）的帮助。除了与另一家大型农业设备制造商Atom-Jet集团合作外，Versatile还致力于通过拟议的NSERC CRD项目继续这种合作关系。Atom-Jet集团专门从事售后开籽机。在拟议的项目中，新的空中播种机，通用的ML930/950空中播种机将重点开发种子打开器（空中播种机的关键要素）。原型开瓶器将在UM、Versatile和Atom Jet的共同努力下设计、制造和测试。种子打开器的设计将通过使用一种新的和创新的数值方法：离散元法（DEM）模拟土壤动态行为来指导。一名具有DEM经验的博士后和一名研究生，以及一家公司的在职工程师（EIT）将在澳大和两家公司接受培训。两家公司的工程师和研究人员将参与所有项目活动。

Agriculture in Canada and many countries of the world involves large-scale agricultural machines. Among those machines, seeders have evolved from small planters to large airseeders, which has significantly increased the field efficiency (acres per hour). In pursuit for economies of scales, today's cereal and oilseed farms have grown from hundreds of acres to many thousands of acres. Meanwhile, farmers have to complete seeding operation in the same weather window as before. This requires airseeders to travel at high speeds (over 8 km/h). However, higher travel speeds cause higher soil disturbance, which adversely affects the seeding performance and consequently crop emergence and growth. The proposed project is about development of a low soil disturbance and high efficiency airseeder for Buhler Versatile Inc. (Versatile), a large agricultural equipment manufacturer. Since 2011, development of a new airseeder product line has become the company's priority, and for this purpose, the company has sought the help of University of Manitoba (UM) within the scope of a NSERC Engage project. Versatile has committed to continuing this partnership via the proposed NSERC CRD project, in addition to teaming up with Atom-Jet Group, another large agricultural equipment manufacturer specializing in aftermarket seed openers. In the proposed project, new airseeders, the ML930/950 airseeders of Versatile will be developed with the focus on seed openers (the key elements of an airseeder). Prototype openers will be designed, fabricated, and tested with the joined efforts of UM, Versatile, and Atom Jet. The design of seed openers will be guided by simulations of soil dynamic behaviours using a new and innovative numerical method: the Discrete Element Method (DEM). A post-doctoral fellow with experienced with DEM and a graduate student, and a company's engineers in training (EIT) will be trained at UM and the two companies. Engineers and researchers from the two companies will participate in all project activities.