Optimal Design and Simulation Analysis of Spike Tooth Threshing Component Based on DEM

This paper takes a local drum-type corn thresher as an example. In order to make the threshing principle transform to the plate-tooth type, the width of the spike-tooth threshing component is increased gradually, and three threshing components of different shape and size are selected as the research objects. Based on the preliminary experimental research, the corn threshing process is simulation analyzed using the self-developed corn threshing process analysis software. The effects of the width of the threshing component on the corn ears threshing rate and kernel damage rate under different rates of drum rotation were studied from a macroscopic perspective. The results show that with the increase of drum rotation rate, both the corn ear threshing rate and kernel damage rate increase; with the increase of threshing component width, the threshing rate increases and the damage rate decreases; and when the component width is too large, the stacking between adjacent components has an impact on the threshing performance. The effects of threshing component width on the amount of kernel threshing and the total compressive force during the simulation time were investigated from microscopic perspective at different rates of drum rotation, and the results show that the microscopic analysis is consistent with the macroscopic analysis. Therefore, the optimization of the structural parameters and operating parameters of the threshing component was achieved. When the width of the threshing component was 25 mm and the roller speed was 187.50 rpm, the threshing performance was optimal, with a 98.04% corn ears threshing rate and a 2.56% kernel damage rate. This paper verifies the practical applicability of the corn threshing process analysis software and provides a reference for the optimal design of threshing devices.