Numerical simulation and experimental study on the dust separation performance of the dust removal apparatus in straw feed harvesters

To address the issue of excessive soil content in straw feed after harvesting by a straw feed harvester, this study designed a dust removal apparatus. Its optimal operating parameters were determined through a combination of numerical simulations and field experiments. Using dust removal efficiency as the evaluation criterion, the Box-Behnken experiment and variance analysis revealed that the factors influencing the dust removal efficiency of the apparatus, in order of significance, were the number of dust removal drums, the aperture of the dust sieve, and the rotational speed of the dust removal drums. The optimal parameter combination consisted of 5 dust removal drums, a dust sieve aperture of 5 mm, and a drum rotational speed of 370 r/min. The dust removal efficiency obtained from numerical simulation using these optimal parameters was 94.1%, while the field verification test yielded an efficiency of 93.5%, with a relative error of 0.64% between the two results, confirming the accuracy of the numerical simulation parameters. The optimized dust removal apparatus significantly improves the quality of straw fodder by reducing dust content, which not only enhances the efficiency of straw recycling but also supports sustainable agricultural practices, promoting both mechanization and green development in the industry.