By Yasir Hassan Satti*, Qingxi Liao, Jiajia Yu, Daley He *Corresponding author: yasshiri@gmail.com

1. Design and testing of a pneumatic precision metering device for wheat
Yasir Hassan Satti1, 2, Qingxi Liao, Jiajia Yu, Daley He
1- Dept. of agric. Engineering, fac. of agric. Sciences, University of Dongola, Sudan
2- College of Engineering, Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), Wuhan-Hubei -China
Introduction: Results:
The conventional fluted meters for drilling often resulted in poorly Acceptable seed rate (53 KPM) within an acceptable percentage of QFI
spaced stands with many gaps. Precision vacuum seeders provide (89.11%), MULI (9.00%) and MISI (1.88%) under laboratory conditions.
higher dosage preciseness with lower rate of seed damage caused
by seed plate. Pneumatic metering devices compared with the Uniform seedling emergence yielding 85.70% QFI under field conditions.
standard bulk metering seeder used 90% less seed Giannini et al.,
(1967) The results form simulation, dynamic analysis, laboratory and field
experiments were found to be in agreement.
Objectives:
Innovation of a new precision metering devise for wheat based on
pneumatic principle to save high quality seeds, reduce the total 19.0 rpm and 2.5 kPa
cost and increase yield.
Methods: 19.0 rpm and 4.0 kPa 39.0 rpm and 4.0 kPa
Fig.5: kernels distribution under different levels of
ANSYS-CFX for simulating some parameters, CAXA and
Pro/ENGINEER softwares for 2D and 3D sketching respectively, operational par ameters
manufacturing a prototype, Optimization of operational 100 100
90 90
parameters (rotating speed and negative pressure) based on 80 80
quality of feed index (QFI %), miss index (MISI %) and multiple 70 70
index (MULI %) using a Test stand with camera system under 60 60
indices %
indices %
laboratory conditions, field experiments, SAS system for DATA 50 50
40 40
analysis applying 5×5 RCB statistical design with five levels of the 30 30
rotational speed (RS) and negative pressure (NP). 20 20
10 10
0 0
2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 19 24 29 34 39
negative pressure (kPa) rotating speed (rpm)
MISI MULI QFI MISI MULI QFI
Fig. 6-a: Effe ct of negative pressure on Fig. 6-b: Effect of rotating speed on
performance indices performance indices
A B C 50 50
45 45
40 40
Cylindrical pressure inlet
number of kernels/m
number of kernels/m
35 35
30 30
25 25
20 20
15 15
10 10
5 5
A B C 0 0
2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 19 24 29 34 39
Revolved pressure inlet negative pressure (kpa) rotating speed (rpm)
Fig.1: simulation of negative pleasure under different structures of Fig. 7-a: Effe ct of negative pressure on Fig.7-b: Effect of rotating speed
preasure inlet and seed hole of 1.8 mm, 2.00 mm and 2.5 mm in A, B number of kernels per meter on number of kernels per
and C respectively meter
A B C
Cylindrical pressure inlet Fig. 8: On-road experiment for the Fig. 9: uniformly distribution and singulation
pneumatic precision metering device for of wheat kernels
wheat using 2 BFQ-6 planter
A B C
Revolved pressure inlet
Fig.2: simulation of negative pleasure under different positions of
preasure inlet inclined with 0°, 20° and 30° in A, B and C Fig. 10: Acceptable plant density three weeks after sowing date
respectively Conclusions:
A B Seed outlet C  The device can successfully and precisely be used for wheat sowing at
different levels of speeds and negative pressure
 The recommended seed rate was realized at a range of rotating speed
and negative pressure
 Non-spherical seeds are easy to be metered with this device.
Seed inlet
 Seed damage was observed to be zero over all treatments
Fig3: 3D sketching (A) and prototype of precision wheat seeder (B and C)
 Uniform distribution within the recommended seed rate under suitable
operating conditions.
Acknowledgements:
We are indebted to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific research
(Sudan), fund for Modern Agro-industry Technology Research System (CARS-
13) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
(2011PY021) for their financial support,
Fig.4: testing the wheat seeder under laboratory conditions using test stand w ith
camera system