Abstract:

This paper presents numerical investigations into a ridged surface whose design is inspired by the geometry of a Farrer’s scallop. The objective of the performed research is to assess if the proposed Bioinspired Ridged Surface (BRS) can potentially improve wear resistance of soil-engaging components used in agricultural machinery and to validate numerical simulations performed using software based on the Discrete Element Method (DEM). The wear performance of the BRS is experimentally determined and also compared with a conventional flat surface. Different size of soil particles and relative velocities between the abrasive sand and the testing surfaces are used. Comparative results show that the numerical simulations are in agreement with the experimental results and support the hypothesis that abrasive wear is greatly reduced by substituting a conventional flat surface with the BRS.

Key words:  bioinspired ridged surface, abrasive wear, numerical simulation, Discrete Element Method (DEM)