Design and Experiment of a Vertical Cotton Stalk Crushing and Returning Machine with Large and Small Dual-Blade Discs

作者：Xianfeng Gu, Bin Li, Yang Liu, Shiguo Wang, Zhong Tang, Yuncheng Dong, Xiangxin Liu · 发表于：Agriculture · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3390/agriculture15151572 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization、Soil Mechanics and Vehicle Dynamics、Plant Surface Properties and Treatments

To address the problems of low crushing efficiency and uneven distribution in traditional straw crushing and returning machines for cotton stalk return operations in Xinjiang, a vertical straw crushing and returning machine with large and small dual-blade discs was designed, adapted to Xinjiang’s cotton planting model. The machine employs a differentiated configuration of large and small blade discs corresponding to four and two rows of cotton stalks, respectively, effectively reducing tool workload while significantly improving operational efficiency. A simulation model of the crushing and returning machine was developed using the discrete element method (DEM), and a flexible cotton stalk model was established to systematically investigate the effects of machine forward speed, crushing blade rotational speed, and knife tip-to-ground clearance on operational performance. Single-factor simulation experiments were conducted using crushing qualification rate and broken stalk drop rate as evaluation indicators. Subsequently, a multi-factor orthogonal field experiment was designed with Design-Expert software (13.0.1.0, Stat-Ease Inc, Minneapolis, MN, USA). The optimal working parameters were determined to be machine forward speed of 3.5 m/s, crushing blade shaft speed of 1500 r/min, and blade tip ground clearance of 60 mm. Verification tests demonstrated that under these optimal parameters, the straw crushing qualification rate reached 95.9% with a broken stalk drop rate of 15.5%....