RESEARCH AND OPTIMIZATION OF THE INCLINATION ANGLE DIFFERENCE OF THE DIGGING SHOVEL SURFACE OF POTATO HARVESTER IN HILLY AREAS

Due to the complex terrain and variable soil conditions in hilly areas, traditional potato harvesters often face challenges such as high excavation resistance, insufficient soil disturbance, and high crop loss rates. This paper, based on soil mechanics and the working principles of potato harvesters, uses EDEM (Discrete Element Method) discrete element software to simulate different combinations of blade angle differences, and systematically studies their on-excavation performance. The results show that the angle difference Δ1 between blade angles α1 and α2, and the angle difference Δ2 between α2 and α3, significantly affect excavation performance. Proper blade angle design can significantly reduce excavation resistance, enhance soil disturbance effects, and reduce power consumption. Specifically, blade pressure fluctuates with increasing angle difference; forward resistance significantly increases under conditions of large angle differences; and within a certain range of Δ2, the blade operates with higher efficiency and lower power consumption. In summary, rational optimization of blade angle design can improve harvest efficiency and crop integrity.