Numerical simulation of the particular flow on an agricultural screen with a complex motion based on the coupling model of PMBK with DEM

Abstract

Agricultural screen is widely used in the separation and cleaning of crop grains after harvest. Although, there is an increasing amount of numerical studies in the screening, the motion of the sieve is still limited to the simple vibration. This paper presents a numerical simulation of the particle flow on a LA-LK laboratory cleaning screen. The motion of the screen is modelled by PMBK (Planar Multi-Body Kinematics), while the particular flow on the screen is simulated by the coupling model of PMBK with DEM (Discrete Element Method). The coupling model is first verified by the good agreement between the numerical and experimental results in terms of the distribution of percentage passing of particles in different size ranges along the screen. The particle flow is then analyzed by means of the averaged particle velocity parallel to the screen, particle bed volume and porosity. This study can provide a reference for the design and optimization of the vibration screen with a complex motion.