Work

Mechanism and Optimization of Adhesion and Resistance Reduction by Bionic Microtextured Rotary Tillage Blades in Soil–Straw Environment

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Rotary tillage blades are critical soil-engaging components in conservation tillage systems but are prone to adhesion of soil particles under cohesive soil conditions, which increases tillage resistance, degrades tillage quality, and lowers operational efficiency. To address these issues, this study proposed a collaborative strategy that combines parameter optimization of rotary tillage blades with a bionic microtexture design to reduce adhesion and resistance and improve operation performance. A coupled soil–wheat straw–rotary tillage blade model based on the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and Multibody Dynamics (MBD) was established in loessial soil environment. The structure and working parameters of the rotary tillage blade were optimized using a Box–Behnken experimental design. On this basis, a bionic microtexture design was introduced on regions prone to adhesion of the rotary tillage blade, inspired by the non-smooth convex hull microstructure on the head surface of the dung beetle. The results indicated that the optimal parameter combination (rotational speed 244 r·min−1, tillage depth 110 mm, and bending angle 122°) reduced soil adhesion mass and tillage resistance by 74.47% and 23.44%, respectively. After applying the bionic microtexture, the corresponding reductions further increased to 82.93% and 28.35%. Moreover, the bionic-optimized rotary tillage blade outperformed the original design in disturbance depth and range and exhibited improved energy consumption performance. Overall, the results demonstrated that coupling parameter optimization with bionic microtexture design substantially enhanced adhesion and resistance reduction and improved soil-disturbance performance, thereby providing theoretical support for the development of high-performance rotary tillage blades.

Source: Agriculture

DOI: 10.3390/agriculture16040437