Simulation and Optimization Design of Column-comb Litchi Harvesting

As a crop with nutritive and economic value, mechanized harvesting of litchi has become an important safeguard measure to support the modern litchi industry to save cost and increase income. Aiming at the problem of mechanized harvesting of litchi processing varieties in china, the column-comb litchi harvester was designed. To study the collection effect of the umbrella-shaped collection mechanism, the discrete element analysis software was used to simulate the harvesting process. The finite element analysis software was used to carry out the modal analysis, statics research and optimization design of the flexible collection mechanism.The results showed that the acceptance rate of the collection organization was 94.10%, and the damage rate was 14.85% in the optimal operation parameters. The width and thickness of the members had significant effects on the natural frequency and stiffness of the structure separately, which were the main influencing factors for the resonance failure of the collector. When the width of the member W was 21 mm and the thickness T was 21 mm,the deformation displacement of the collector was small, and the overall mass was reduced by 2.56 kg. The field experiment showed that under the optimal working parameter combination of column-comb frequency of 19Hz, column-comb rod spacing of 100 mm and column-comb rod blending degree of 60%, the litchi acceptance rate and damage rate of the litchi harvester collection device were 92.86% and 8.31%, and the test value was basically consistent with the simulation value. This study can provide reference for the design and optimization of litchi harvester.