Calibration and experiment of the discrete element parameters of watermelon seeds

Authors

  • Yong Chen College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
  • Junwu He College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
  • Xing Yu Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Yellow River Conservancy Commission, Zhengzhou 450003, China
  • Hao Ma College of Agricultural equipment engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, Henan, China
  • Shengsheng Wang College of Agricultural equipment engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, China
  • Xiuli Zhang College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
  • Xinyu Ji College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
  • Xiaochan Liu College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v18i4.9570

Keywords:

watermelon seed, discrete element method, Plackett-Burman experiment, steepest-climbing design, Box-Behnken response surface analysis

Abstract

As important factors in discrete elements, the physical parameters of watermelon seeds play a pivotal role in discrete element method. To obtain the discrete element parameters of watermelon seeds and improve the accuracy of the discrete element model, through a combination of actual and simulation tests, this research has calibrated the seeds’ physical and contact parameters with the seed metering device. Employing the Plackett-Burman experiment, this study has identified three critical factors affecting the stacking angle: the static and rolling friction coefficients between seeds, and the collision recovery coefficient between seeds and plexiglass. Using the steepest-climbing design and Box-Behnken response surface analysis, this research has optimized these factors to values of 0.716, 0.051, and 0.787, achieving a calibration error of just 2.60%. Verification with an air suction precision seed metering device confirmed the parameters’ accuracy, with relative errors below 7.65%. The discrepancy between the simulation and actual test results, as measured by the qualified index error, is successfully reduced to below 4.38%. This study thus establishes a solid foundation for the structural optimization of air suction precision watermelon seed metering devices. Keywords: watermelon seed, discrete element method, Plackett-Burman experiment, steepest-climbing design, Box-Behnken response surface analysis DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20251804.9570 Citation: Chen Y, He J W, Yu X, Ma H, Wang S S, Zhang X L, et al. Calibration and experiment of the discrete element parameters of watermelon seeds. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2025; 18(4): 26–37.

References

Liu H J, Chen Y Q, Lin M, Bai X S, Deng C H, Pan J H, et al. Selection of superior varieties (Lines) of seed-watermelon based on growth period and economic yield. Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences, 2018; 55(3): 430–438. (in Chinese)

Yang L, Li Z M, Zhang D X, Li C, Cui T, He X T. Design and test of the Tshaped hole of centrifugal high-speed maize precision seed metering device. Transactions of the CSAE, 2024; 40(7): 50–60. (in Chinese)

Zang Y, Huang Z S, Qin W, He S Y, Qian C, Jiang Y C, et al. Design of hybrid rice air-suction single-seed metering device. Transactions of the CSAE, 2024; 40(6): 181–191. (in Chinese)

Yuan F H, Yu H W, Wang L, Shi Y Y, Wang X C, Liu H. Parameter calibration and systematic test of a discrete element model (DEM) for compound fertilizer particles in a mechanized variable-rate application. Agronomy, 2023; 13(3): 706.

Zhang B, Wang J Y, Yang X S, Chen B S. A DEM-MBD based method for regulating transfer flux in the supply and discharge of cane seed particles. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 2024; 218: 108732.

Zhang S W, Zhang R Y, Chen T Y, Fu J, Yuan H F. Calibration of simulation parameters of Mung bean seeds using discrete element method and verification of seed-metering test. Transactions of the CSAM, 2022; 53(3): 71–79. (in Chinese)

Barrios G K P, Tavares L M. A preliminary model of high pressure roll grinding using the discrete element method and multi-body dynamics coupling. International Journal of Mineral Processing, 2016; 156: 32–42.

Ghodki B M, Patel M, Namdeo R, Carpenter G. Calibration of discrete element model parameters: soybeans. Computational Particle Mechanics, 2019; 6(1): 3–10.

Coetzee C. Calibration of the discrete element method: strategies for spherical and non-spherical particles. Powder Technology, 2020; 364: 851–878.

Liu C L, Wang Y L, Du X, Song J N, Wang J C, Zhang F Y. Filling performance analysis and verification of cell-belt rice precision seedmetering based on friction and repeated filling principle. Transactions of the CSAE, 2019; 35(4): 29–36. (in Chinese)

Tang H, Guan T Y, Xu F D, Xu C S, Wang J W. Test on adsorption posture and seeding performance of the high-speed precision dual-chamber maize metering device based on the seed characteristics. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 2024; 216: 108471.

Chen Z, Wassgren C, Veikle E, Ambrose K. Determination of material and interaction properties of maize and wheat kernels for DEM simulation. Biosystems Engineering, 2020; 195: 208–226.

Wang J W, Tang H, Wang J F, Li X, Huang H N. Optimization design and experiment on ripple surface type pickup finger of precision maize seed metering device. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2017; 10(1): 61–71.

Wu J S, Cao C M, Xie C J, Fang L F, Wu Z M, Hu M K, et al. Measurement of physical properties of peucedani radix seeds and parameter calibration of discrete element simulation model. Journal of Gansu Agricultural University, 2019; 54(4): 180–189. (in Chinese)

Su Y, Xu Y, Cui T, Gao X J, Xia G Y, Li Y B, et al. Determination and interpretation of bonded-particle model parameters for simulation of maize kernels. Biosystems Engineering, 2021; 210: 193–205.

Wang Y X, Liang Z J, Zhang D X, Cui T, Shi S, Li K H, et al. Calibration method of contact characteristic parameters for corn seeds based on EDEM. Transactions of the CSAE, 2016; 32(22): 36–42. (in Chinese)

Li Y X, Li F X, Xu X M, Shen C P, Meng K P, Chen J, et al. Parameter calibration of wheat flour for discrete element method simulation based on particle scaling. Transactions of the CSAE, 2019; 35(16): 320–327. (in Chinese)

Lu C Y, Gao Z, Li H W, He J, Wang Q J, Wei X Y, et al. An ellipsoid modelling method for discrete element simulation of wheat seeds. Biosystems Engineering, 2023; 226: 1–15.

Liu L, Wang X L, Zhang X C, Zhong X K, Wei Z C, Geng Y L, et al. Determination and verification of parameters for the discrete element modelling of single disc covering of flexible straw with soil. Biosystems Engineering, 2023; 233: 151–167.

Peng Q J, He X, Li G M, Yang R S, Wang X Y, Zhang C Y, et al. Calibrating and testing the discrete element parameters for peanut seedling film. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2024; 17(5): 65–72.

Khatchatourian O A, Binelo M O, de Lima R F. Simulation of soya bean flow in mixed-flow dryers using DEM. Biosystems Engineering, 2014; 123: 68–76.

Li Y Z, Xie J H, Zhang J, Yue Y, Meng Q H, Du Y K, et al. Parameter calibration and experimental verification of discrete element simulation model for Protaetia brevitarsis larvae bioconversion mixture. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2024; 17(4): 35–44.

Xie K T, Zhang Z G, Wang F A, Yu X L, Wang C L, Jiang S F. Calibration and experimental verification of discrete element parameters of Panax notoginseng root. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2024; 17(4): 13–23.

Zhang Z G, Zeng C, Xing Z Y, Xu P, Guo Q F, Shi R M, et al. Discrete element modeling and parameter calibration of safflower biomechanical properties. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2024; 17(2): 37–46.

Fan J F, Wang H W, Sun K, Zhang L, Wang L, Zhao J W, et al. Experimental verification and simulation analysis of a multi-sphere modelling approach for wheat seed particles based on the discrete element method. Biosystems Engineering, 2024; 245: 135–151.

Zhao Z, Wu Y F, Yin J J, Tang Z. Monitoring method of rice seeds mass in vibrating tray for vacuum-panel precision seeder. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 2015; 114: 25–31.

Ding X T, Wang B B, He Z, Shi Y G, Li K, Cui Y J, et al. Fast and precise DEM parameter calibration for Cucurbita ficifolia seeds. Biosystems Engineering, 2023; 236: 258–276.

Aela P, Zong L, Esmaeili M, Siahkouhi M, Jing G Q. Angle of repose in the numerical modeling of ballast particles focusing on particle-dependent specifications: parametric study. Particuology, 2022; 65: 39–50.

Chen Y, Gao X X, Jin X, Ma X R, Hu B, Zhang X L. Calibration and analysis of seeding parameters of Cyperus esculentus seeds based on discrete element simulation. Transactions of the CSAM, 2023; 54(12): 58–69. (in Chinese)

Mousaviraad M, Tekeste M Z, Rosentrater K A. Calibration and validation of a discrete element model of corn using grain flow simulation in a commercial screw grain auger. Transactions of the ASABE, 2017; 60(4): 1403–1415.

Zhong J Q, Tao L M, Li S P, Zhang B, Wang J Y, He Y L. Determination and interpretation of parameters of double-bud sugarcane model based on discrete element. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 2022; 203: 107428.

Yuan J B, Li H, Wu C Y, Qi X D, Shi X X, Li C. Study on apace particle modeling of rice grain basis on the discrete element method. Journal of Nanjing Agricultural University, 2018; 41(6): 1151–1158. (in Chinese)

Zhang R F, Jiao W, Zhou J L, Qi B, Liu H, Xia Q Q. Parameter calibration and experiment of rice seeds discrete element model with different filling particle radius. Transactions of the CSAM, 2020; 51(S1): 227–235. (in Chinese)

Shi L R, Sun W, Zhao W Y, Yang X P, Feng B. Parameter determination and validation of discrete element model of seed potato mechanical seeding. Transactions of the CSAE, 2018; 34(6): 35–42. (in Chinese)

Downloads

Published

2025-08-21

How to Cite

Chen, Y., He, J., Yu, X., Ma, H., Wang, S., Zhang, X., … Liu, X. (2025). Calibration and experiment of the discrete element parameters of watermelon seeds. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 18(4), 26–37. https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v18i4.9570

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 4 (2025): IJABE

Section

Applied Science, Engineering and Technology

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:


  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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).