Applications of EDEM simulation for

AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY design

Contents

 Agricultural Machinery Design Challenges

 Introducing EDEM Simulation Technology

 Benefits of EDEM Simulation

 Applications Examples

 Find out more

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Agricultural Machinery Design Challenges
Agricultural machinery such as tractors, combines and
forage harvesters are all designed to work with a range of
bulk materials such as crops (in various stages of being
processed), seeds and soils. These materials can impact
the performance of the machine and its durability. Typical
issues might include blockage of fibres in harvesting
equipment, wear of tools, uneven distribution of seeds
and inefficient processes.
Predicting the behavior of materials and their impact on
the machine is therefore critical to achieve efficiency and
performance; however, it is challenging due to the
complexity and variability of bulk materials.

Using physical testing of new equipment designs is

expensive and limiting, especially when considering
testing against crops in the field where missing a seasonal
testing window due to adverse weather conditions can
significantly delay the time to market for new designs.

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Introducing EDEM Simulation Technology
EDEM simulation technology is used for the
design, performance testing and optimization of
agricultural equipment.

Combine harvesters, grain handling and transport

systems, hay and forage equipment, tillage tools
and seeder/fertilizer equipment all require design
tools capable of modelling a wide range of
material types.

Powered by the Discrete Element Method (DEM),

EDEM software can be used for simulation and
analysis of the behavior of agriculture materials
such as grains, seeds, crops and soils.

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Benefits of EDEM Simulation
By including EDEM is their design
workflow engineers are able to:

 Predict bulk material behavior: identify risk of

blockages, wear, response of equipment
 Virtually test designs for a wide range of
materials with different properties
 Get key insight into crop-machine and soil-
machine interactions
 Reduce the need for physical prototypes
 Perform testing out of season without having to
ship prototypes to areas where crop is growing
 Gain confidence that design simulations
represent real life scenarios
 Design machines with higher performance
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Applications
Examples
Grain & Crop Handling Systems
EDEM is used to:

 Investigate screw auger forces and torques

 Predict auger crop flow properties
 Quantify grain handling system capacity and
power requirements
 Measure performance of the system Screw Auger

Grain sieving
 Simulate grain sieving process
 Analyze sieving throughput
 Test different operating conditions of the sieve
 Optimize system efficiency

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Grain & Crop Handling Systems
EDEM is used to: Corn harvester
 Simulate corn harvesting process and
corn ear detachment
 Predict the interactions among fibrous
agricultural materials and machine parts

Straw chopper
Images courtesy of Budapest University
of Technology & Economics

 Compare different designs

 Check influence of design on
stalk orientation
 Optimize chopping quality
Courtesy of Braunschweig
University of Technology

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Grain & Crop Handling Systems
EDEM is used to:
Potato harvester
 Test different designs virtually
 Determine grading capabilities of
potato harvester
 Reduce crop damage

Bucket elevator

 Predict performance of bucket elevator

Courtesy of Kansas State University

 Understand discharge flow profile of grains

 Optimize efficiency

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Grain & Crop Handling Systems
EDEM is used to: Fertilizer spreader

 Investigate spread pattern in

fertilizer spreader
 Predict particle flow
 Help achieve uniform distribution

Courtesy of Auburn University

Mixed flow corn dryer

 Determine particle flow pattern

 Identify under and over drying grain portions
 Help obtain uniform drying

Courtesy of Kansas State University

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Machine – Soil Interaction
EDEM is used to:

 Model machine – soil interaction

 Get accurate forces exerted on machine Tractor
 Include dynamic response of equipment
 Test new designs with a range of materials
without the need for physical prototype
 Virtually test all equipment manoeuvres
through a simple setup process

Plough
 Model tillage operation and the interaction
between soil and plough
 Understand soil movement and plough depth
 Optimize plough performance

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Employing EDEM software at CNH has allowed for
an accelerated pace of machinery development to
more fully understand crop-machine and soil-
machine interactions.

The unprecedented level of model customization

that can be achieved through the EDEM API allows
us to obtain the results we need to drive product
innovation at CNH.

Dr. Martin Roberge

Manager Soil Crop Flow Modeling
FIND OUT MORE
Designing agricultural machinery using
EDEM bulk material simulation
VIEW ALL RESOURCES

For more information

CONTACT EDEM TEAM
EDEM® is the market-leading Discrete Element Method (DEM) software for bulk
material simulation. EDEM is used for ‘virtual testing’ of equipment that handles or
processes bulk materials in the manufacturing of mining, construction, off-highway
and agricultural machinery, as well as in the mining and process industries.

Blue-chip companies around the world use EDEM to optimize equipment design,
increase productivity, reduce costs of operations, shorten product development
cycles and drive product innovation.

www.edemsimulation.com
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