Design and optimization of a safflower filament cyclone collection device based on CFD-DEM coupling method
Keywords:
Safflower filaments, CFD-DEM, Cyclone collector, Parameter optimizationAbstract
To address the bottleneck problems of low collection efficiency and high impurity content in the mechanical harvesting of safflower filaments, this study takes Xinjiang dryland safflower as the research object and designs an efficient cleaning system for safflower filaments based on the cyclone separation principle. To optimize system performance, this study integrates Computational Fluid Dynamics and Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) coupled simulations with the Response Surface Methodology (RSM), systematically investigating the effects of three key parameters—volute wrap angle, separation drum diameter, and inlet air velocity—on cleaning performance. Through coupled simulations, the internal flow field characteristics (indicated by pressure drop and resultant velocity) and the movement trajectories of the filaments were thoroughly analyzed. Based on a three-factor, three-level response surface experimental design, accurate regression models for the collection rate and impurity rate of the filaments were established, and the interactive effects among the parameters were revealed. Optimization results show that under the optimal parameter combination of a 180° volute wrap angle, 140 mm separation drum diameter, and 2.5 m/s inlet air velocity, the cleaning performance is optimal, with a measured filament collection rate of 98.53% and an impurity rate of 2.30%, which are in close agreement with the model predictions (relative error <5%). This study not only verifies the effectiveness and accuracy of the CFD-DEM coupled method in the design of agricultural material cleaning equipment but also provides a reliable theoretical basis and technical solution for the efficient and low-loss mechanical harvesting of safflower filaments.
Key words: safflower filaments; CFD-DEM; cyclone collector; parameter optimization
DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20261904.10274
Citation: Chen B B, Liu X D, Sun X Z, Zhuang K J, Wang D Y, Ma B J. Design and optimization of a safflower filamentcyclone collection device based on CFD-DEM coupling method. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2026; 19(4): 67–78.
References
[1] National Pharmacopoeia Commission. Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China, Part I. China Medical Science Press, 2020. (in Chinese)
[2] Wang X, Shang J Y, Hui J, Zhao J K, Wang X Y, Wang L M, et al. Research progress on nutrients and efficacy of safflower seed oil. China Oils Fats, 2024; 10: 66–71. (in Chinese)
[3] Ge Y, Zhang L X, Gu J W, Fu W, Fu R G, Zhang H M. Parameter optimization and experiment of dual roller harvesting device for safflower. Transactions of the CSAE, 2015; 31(21): 35–42. (in Chinese)
[4] Zhang Z G, Xing Z Y, Yang S P, Feng N, Liang R Q, Zhao M Y. Design and experiments of the circular arc progressive type harvester for the safflower filaments. Transactions of the CSAE, 2022; 38(17): 10–21. (in Chinese)
[5] Zhang X W, Ge Y, Zhang L X, Chen F, Ma W X. Design and experiment of rectangular safflower picking robot. J. Agricultural Mechanization Research, 2022; 44(1): 79–84. (in Chinese)
[6] Cao W B, Lian G D, Niu C, An L L, Yang S P, Chen B B. Harvest performance test and parameter optimization of comb-type safflower-filaments picking head at same height. Transactions of the CSAE, 2018; 34(22): 36–44. (in Chinese)
[7] An L L, Cao W B, Li S F, Ma P, Lian G D, Yang S P. Design of hydraulic system for comb-clamping safflower harvesting machine. J. Chinese Agricultural Mechanization, 2020; 41(1): 37–42. (in Chinese)
[8] Yang M, Hu Z, Zhang Y, Xu H, Gu F, Wu F. Research status and prospect of pneumatic cleaning device for agricultural granular materials. J. China Agricultural Mechanization, 2020; 41(3): 121–127. (in Chinese)
[9] Liao Q X, Wan X Y, Li H T, Ji M Y, Wang H. Design and experiment on cyclone separating cleaning system for rape combine harvester. Transactions of the CSAE, 2015; 31(14): 24–31. (in Chinese)
[10] Huang Y S, Zhang W G, Feng S K, Liu Z J, Yang F Z. Buckwheat cyclone separation and cleaning device based on EDEM-Fluent. J. Northwest A&F Univ., 2023; 51(10): 128–140. (in Chinese)
[11] Wasilewski M, Singh L, Ligus G. Experimental and numerical investigation on the performance of square cyclones with different vortex finder configurations. Sep. Purif. Technol., 2020; 239: 10–24.
[12] Baltrenas P, Pranskevicius M, Venslovas A. Optimization of the new generation multichannel cyclone cleaning efficiency. Energy Procedia, 2015; 72: 188–195.
[13] Brar L S, Elsayed K. Analysis and optimization of multi-inlet gas cyclones using large eddy simulation and artificial neural network. Powder Technol., 2017; 311: 465–483.
[14] Juengcharoensukying J, Poochinda K, Chalermsinsuwan B. Effects of cyclone vortex finder and inlet angle on solid separation using CFD simulation. Energy Procedia, 2017; 138: 1116–1121.
[15] Han D, Zhang D, Jing H, Li Y, Tao C, Ding Y, Wang Z, Wang Y, Zhang T. DEM-CFD coupling simulation and optimization of an inside-filling air-blowing maize precision seed-metering device. Comput. Electron. Agric., 2018; 150: 426–438.
[16] Wu N, He J L, Liu S H, He Y Q. Simulation and experiment of air screen cleaning device for Cerasus humilis based on EDEM-Fluent coupling. Agricultural Engineering, 2021; 11(1): 82–87. (in Chinese)
[17] Wasilewski M. Analysis of the effect of counter-cone location on cyclone separator efficiency. Sep. Purif. Technol., 2017; 179: 236–247.
[18] Huang A N, Ito K, Fukasawa T, Fukui K, Kuo H P. Effects of particle mass loading on the hydrodynamics and separation efficiency of a cyclone separator. J. Taiwan Inst. Chem. Eng., 2018; 90: 61–67.
[19] Li X P, Meng Y J, Zhang J L, Geng L X, Ji J T. Design and test of cleaning device for roller rubbing cylinder sieve of millet. Transactions of the CSAM, 2018; 49(10): 92–102, 136. (in Chinese)
[20] Wang H H, Li Y M, Xu L Z, Huang M S, Ma Z. Simulation and experiment of air flow field in the cleaning device of ratooning rice combine harvesters. Transactions of the CSAE, 2020; 36(20): 84–92. (in Chinese)
[21] Hou J M, Ren Z T, Zhu H J. Design and test of double-layer inclined vibrating air-screen castor cleaning device. Transactions of the CSAM, 2022; 53(S2): 39–51.
[22] Chen Y, He J W, Yu X, Hu B, Li L H, Zhang X L, Liu X C, Mao R N. Design and experiment of air-suction roller corn precision dibbler based on DEM-CFD coupling. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2025; 18(5): 142–153.
[23] Xu H B, Zhang P, Gu F W, Hu Z C, Yang H G, Mao E R, Du Y F. Numerical simulation and experiment of dust suppression device of peanut whole-feed combine using computational fluid dynamics. Agriculture, 2023; 13(2): 329.
[24] Jiang T, Zhang M, Guan Z H, Mu S L, Wu C Y, Wang G, Li H T. Simulation and analysis of the pneumatic recovery for side-cutting loss of combine harvesters with CFD-DEM coupling approach. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2022; 15(2): 117–126.
[25] Sun X P, Li H, Qi X D, Feng D H, Zhou J Q, Wang Y J, Nyambura S M, Zhang X Y, Chen X. Optimization of a three-row air-suction Brassica Chinensis precision metering device based on CFD-DEM coupling simulation. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2023; 16(3): 130–142.
[26] Xu H M, Liu W R, Liu H, Liu Z F, Zhang G Z. Design and performance test of a combined and adjustable precise rice seed metering device. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2025; 18(1): 101–114.
[27] Chen J N, Li H, Liu L M, Jia J M, Zhao R M, Wu C Y. Design and experimental optimization of end effector for picking famous tea with split-cutter. Transactions of the CSAM, 2024; 55(1): 39–46, 195. (in Chinese)
[28] Shu C X, Yang J, Wan X Y, Yuan J C, Liao Y T, Liao Q X. Calibration and experiment of the discrete element simulation parameters of rape threshing mixture in combine harvester. Transactions of the CSAE, 2022; 38(9): 34–43. (in Chinese)
[29] Chen W H, Fei J M, Gao J P, Kan Z, Huang L D, Meng H W, Qi J T. Design and experiment of the traction tiger nut combine harvester. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2026; 19(2): 139–151.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
IJABE is an international peer reviewed, open access journal, adopting Creative Commons Copyright Notices as follows.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
