CONSTRUCTION AND PARAMETER CALIBRATION OF A DISCRETE ELEMENT MODEL OF BARLEY SEEDLING STEMS

To address the issue of insufficient parameters in the simulation of processes such as barley seedling stem harvesting using the discrete element method, this study focused on barley seedling stems of the Plante variety. Based on EDEM software, rigid (Hertz-Mindlin no slip model) and flexible (Hertz-Mindlin with bonding model) discrete element models were established. Combined with the results of physical tests, including the angle of repose (20.42°) and the average maximum load of three-point bending (2.62 N), parameters were screened and optimized through tests such as Plackett-Burman. The results showed that under the optimal contact parameter combination of the rigid model, the simulated average angle of repose was 20.31°, with an error of 0.78% compared to the physical test. For the flexible model, under the optimal bonding parameter combination, the simulated maximum bending stress was 2.64 N, with an error of 0.76% compared to the three-point bending test, verifying the accuracy of the models. The study indicated that the established models and parameters can accurately reflect the physicomechanical properties of barley seedling stems, providing a theoretical basis for the design and optimization of their harvesting, conveying, and processing machinery.