Experimental and theoretical investigation of the fundamentals of agricultural cutting processes at high blade velocities

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Andreas Jahr
• Subject Area: Plant Cultivation, Plant Nutrition, Agricultural Technology
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 314904458

The objective of the research project forming the subject of this application is the fundamental experimental and numeric investigation of the cutting processes taking place in agricultural machines with the focus on the cutting of different stalk-type material without a counter knife. For this the dependence of the cutting force on a variety of parameters will be determined experimentally. The parameters include, for example, the cutting velocity, the ratio of the cutting velocities and the dry matter content of the material being cut as well as the wedge angle and sharpness of the cutting edge. In addition to the cutting force, the mechanics of the cutting process will be considered in more detail. After this and in the course of the evaluation of the tests scientific laws will be derived with the aid of which cutting processes can be described. These will be necessary for the representation of cutting processes by simulation. Here the focus will be placed on multi-body simulation and discrete-element methods. All the simulation models prepared will be validated. Finally a database will be prepared from which - amongst other things - it will be possible to find the cutting force needed for cutting the investigated stalk-type materials as a function of the parameters which have a significant influence thereon. In addition the database will also contain useful hints on the simulatory representation of cutting processes.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants