Designing tillage tools to promote only the necessary amount of soil fragmentation with minimum power input have great potential to reduce production costs concomitantly with environmental impacts. Thus, it was developed a model using discrete element method (DEM) of a bulk soil that accounts for the mechanical behaviour of soil aggregates and implemented an aggregate size classifier algorithm to quantify aggregate size distribution and the location of particle bond breaks promoted by tillage in different positions of the soil bin. Using this numerical approach, simulations of tillage activities were carried out for two furrow openers for sugar cane planting: a conventional one and a new tool concept with distinct soil fragmentation principle. The calibrated DEM model was able to reproduce the empirical measurements of soil friability and power demand of tillage. Through the model it was possible to quantify the level of soil structural fragmentation caused by tillage, revealing specific details of aggregate breakage promoted by the evaluated tools. The new tool concept showed potential to decrease the power demand by 28.5% at the same time it increases the fractal fragmentation by 10% in comparison to the conventional tool. From these simulations it was estimated that the implementation of the new tool in the Brazilian sugarcane production may reduce fuel consumption by up to 16%.

中文翻译：

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模拟大块土壤的团聚结构以量化土壤耕作工具在苗床形成过程中的破碎特性和能量需求

设计耕作工具以仅以最小的功率输入促进必要的土壤破碎量，在降低生产成本和环境影响方面具有巨大潜力。因此，它使用散装土壤的离散元方法 (DEM) 开发了一个模型，该模型考虑了土壤团聚体的力学行为，并实施了团聚体尺寸分类器算法来量化团聚体尺寸分布和耕作促进的颗粒键断裂的位置。土仓的不同位置。使用这种数值方法，对两种用于甘蔗种植的开沟器进行了耕作活动的模拟：传统的开沟器和具有不同土壤破碎原理的新工具概念。校准后的 DEM 模型能够重现土壤脆性和耕作功率需求的经验测量值。通过该模型，可以量化由耕作引起的土壤结构破碎程度，揭示评估工具促进的集料破碎的具体细节。与传统工具相比，新工具概念显示有可能将电力需求降低 28.5%，同时将分形碎片增加 10%。根据这些模拟，估计在巴西甘蔗生产中实施新工具最多可以减少 16% 的燃料消耗。与传统工具相比，新工具概念显示有可能将电力需求降低 28.5%，同时将分形碎片增加 10%。根据这些模拟，估计在巴西甘蔗生产中实施新工具最多可以减少 16% 的燃料消耗。与传统工具相比，新工具概念显示有可能将电力需求降低 28.5%，同时将分形碎片增加 10%。根据这些模拟，估计在巴西甘蔗生产中实施新工具最多可以减少 16% 的燃料消耗。