Optimal structural design of a sugarcane harvester extractor based on CFD

Authors

  • Baocheng Zhou College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
  • Jichen Han College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
  • Zhijie Wu College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
  • Fei Feng College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
  • Shaochun Ma College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v18i4.9323

Keywords:

sugarcane harvest, CFD, extractor, structural optimization

Abstract

To address the challenges of high impurity rate and cane loss rate in mechanized sugarcane harvesting, the internal flow field of the extractor was analyzed through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation, and the structure of the extractor was optimized to improve the harvesting quality. The simulation model was validated by comparing simulated and experimental wind speeds at the extractor outlet, yielding a maximum error of 5.29% and an average error of 4.71%, confirming the model’s accuracy. The analysis revealed that abrupt changes in structural geometry lead to significant airflow vortices within the discharge hood, a backflow phenomenon at the outlet, and additional vortices in the cleaning chamber, all of which ultimately result in high impurity rate and cane loss rate. To address these issues, the extractor’s structure was optimized, the outer contour of the discharge hood was designed as a smooth arc curve, and the lower air inlet of the cleaning chamber was changed from rectangular to circular, which eliminated the vortices and improved airflow uniformity. The impurity rate test showed that when the harvester driving speed was 1 km/h, the impurity rate level before and after optimization was comparable across different rotational speeds. At 2 km/h, the low-speed performance (1250 r/min) was significantly improved, reducing the impurity rate by 21.52%. At 3 km/h, the impurity rate decreased by 19.84% and 28.30% at low and medium speeds (1450 r/min), respectively. The cane loss rate test demonstrated that when the extractor speed was 1250 r/min, the difference before and after optimization was minimal. At 1450 r/min, the cane loss rate decreased significantly, with a maximum decrease of 10.75%. At 1650 r/min, the cane loss rate decreased by 8.78% at most. The optimized extractor significantly reduced the impurity rate and cane loss rate at higher harvester speeds (2-3 km/h), making it suitable for large-scale and high-speed harvesting operations and improving the harvesting efficiency. The research results will help to design and improve the performance of the extractor, thus improving the harvest quality and increasing farmers’ income. Keywords: sugarcane harvest, CFD, extractor, structural optimization DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20251804.9323 Citation: Zhou B C, Han J C, Wu Z J, Feng F, Ma S C. Optimal structural design of a sugarcane harvester extractor based on CFD. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2025; 18(4): 117–127.

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Published

2025-08-21

How to Cite

Zhou, B., Han, J., Wu, Z., Feng, F., & Ma, S. (2025). Optimal structural design of a sugarcane harvester extractor based on CFD. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 18(4), 117–127. https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v18i4.9323

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 4 (2025): IJABE

Section

Power and Machinery Systems

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