Test Trials and Analysis of Pod-Shattering Characteristics of Harvested Rapeseed Silique
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The paper deals with analysis of pod-shattering characteristics of harvested rapeseed silique; however, is necessary to clarify some processes used to perform this analysis. Also, some factual clarifications will be helpful as highlighted in the comments below.
-Table 1, what is the effect of the thickness on the impact behaviour (figure 2).
-Figure 3, what is the effect of different materials of the collision?
-Page 6, lines 218-225. To improve the collision process is possible to use a thermal treatment? (see suggested references)
-State in the method section, how are changed the impact velocity rate?
-The percentages are defined based or compared with?
-Table 3 describes different tests? What describes is the meaning of rows?
-How are defined the test conditions?
-State the novelty in the introduction.
-What is the correlation between experimental tests and analytical solutions?
Please review the next papers and include it in your references.
- Energy Dissipation Enhancement of Thin-Walled 6063 T5 Aluminium Tubes by Combining a Triggering Mechanism and Heat Treatment, Metals 2023, 13(5), 922; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050922
- An ANSYS/LS-DYNA Simulation and Experimental Study of Sectional Hob Type Laver Harvesting Device, Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 361; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020361
Author Response
The paper deals with analysis of pod-shattering characteristics of harvested rapeseed silique; however, is necessary to clarify some processes used to perform this analysis. Also, some factual clarifications will be helpful as highlighted in the comments below.
-Table 1, what is the effect of the thickness on the impact behaviour (figure 2).
Response 1:
According to the structural characteristics of rapeseed silique, it is composed of 2 petals, and the width and thickness of the silique correspond to the combined surface of the petals and the front of the silique, respectively.
-Figure 3, what is the effect of different materials of the collision?
Response 2:
At the same impact velocity, the silique shattering rate is different, suggesting that different .collision materials can reduce silique shattering
-Page 6, lines 218-225. To improve the collision process is possible to use a thermal treatment? (see suggested references)
Response 3:
This is a good idea, for agricultural machinery products, the price factor has a greater impact on product sales, at present the main use of different types of materials, the follow-up can try to use heat-treated materials for silique collision test, heat treatment of materials to reduce the loss of the rapeseed harvesting reel branch mechanism.
-State in the method section, how are changed the impact velocity rate?
Response 4:
It has been described in the paper that different collision velocities are obtained by releasing the pendulum from different heights to realize the collision material in collisional contact with the siliques.
-The percentages are defined based or compared with?
Response 5:
Percentage expressed as a percentage, e.g., silique shattering rate, indicates the number of siliques ruptured as a proportion of the total number of angiosperms.
-Table 3 describes different tests? What describes is the meaning of rows?
Response 6:
Indicates the silique shattering rate of siliques at different moisture contents, with ordinal numbers added for greater clarity.
-How are defined the test conditions?
Response 7:
In the test equipment and method section of the article, the test conditions, etc. of the two test methods are constrained separately.
-State the novelty in the introduction.
Response 8:
We thank the experts for their comments, which have been added and improved in the introduction.
-What is the correlation between experimental tests and analytical solutions?
Response 9:
The test results are the intuitive results of a large number of sample data, through the experimental analysis, to get the intrinsic influence relationship and the main and secondary influencing factors, and provide the theoretical basis for the screening of machine-harvesting varieties of shatter resistant rapeseed, rapeseed cutting table reel branch design and parameter optimization.
Please review the next papers and include it in your references.
- Energy Dissipation Enhancement of Thin-Walled 6063 T5 Aluminium Tubes by Combining a Triggering Mechanism and Heat Treatment, Metals 2023, 13(5), 922; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050922
Jiménez-Armendáriz, J.; Jimenez-Martinez, M.; Varela-Soriano, J.; Santana-Diaz, A.; Perez-Santiago, R. Energy Dissipation Enhancement of Thin-Walled 6063 T5 Aluminium Tubes by Combining a Triggering Mechanism and Heat Treatment. Metals 2023, 13, 922. https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050922.
- An ANSYS/LS-DYNA Simulation and Experimental Study of Sectional Hob Type Laver Harvesting Device, Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 361; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020361
Response 10:
According to the expert opinion, we have added two references.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
This manuscript is of scientific and practical interest. This study identifies various properties of rape siliques that can be used to optimize the performance of existing harvesting machines as well as in the development of new ones.
The paper is presented in a clear manner with sufficient data to understand the problem to be solved and possible reproduction of the research results. There is a sufficient review and information on the relevance of the problem under study. However, there are no references to foreign studies related to the work of machinery during rape harvesting and the differences of its varieties.
When determining the geometric dimensions of rapeseed siliques only 20 pieces were measured. What is the resulting error? What is the probability of a correct result?
When the harvester is working, the reel interacts not only with the siliques, but to a greater extent with the stalk, which transmits vibration and disturbance that contributes to cracking and shattering of rape seeds. It is not clear from the study cited in the paper how many repetitions there were in testing the siliques for impact, interaction with different materials and collisions with external support. What was their size and moisture content? In the comparative testing of the interaction of silica with nylon material, more detail should have been given on the comparative numerical characteristics of the materials, such as hardness.
The figures presented in the article are easy to read and have sufficient completeness of information.
The conclusions obtained reflect the results of the research carried out.
This paper is theoretical and practical in nature and can be used by other scientists and subsequently improved, as well as taken as a basis for the development of cleaning systems.
Author Response
This manuscript is of scientific and practical interest. This study identifies various properties of rape siliques that can be used to optimize the performance of existing harvesting machines as well as in the development of new ones.
The paper is presented in a clear manner with sufficient data to understand the problem to be solved and possible reproduction of the research results. There is a sufficient review and information on the relevance of the problem under study. However, there are no references to foreign studies related to the work of machinery during rape harvesting and the differences of its varieties.
When determining the geometric dimensions of rapeseed siliques only 20 pieces were measured. What is the resulting error? What is the probability of a correct result?
Response 1 :
It was found in the previous preliminary test，the 20 siliques basically reflected the basic characteristics of rapeseed. In this paper, the collision impact test, different varieties, different moisture content and collision position, etc. conducted a multi-angle test, in order to ensure the comparability of the test results, the test needs to be carried out under relatively consistent conditions, the previous preliminary test and this paper, the different moisture content of siliques test had been verified, siliques moisture content changes on the rapeseed characteristics of a greater impact, if the number of single test is more, the test period is longer, the environmental factors on the test results are more influential, synthesize several factors, each test using 20 siliques test and take the average value, but also used two different types of siliques characteristics test, the results obtained by the two test methods are basically the same, but also indirectly shows that the test results are reliable and valid.
When the harvester is working, the reel interacts not only with the siliques, but to a greater extent with the stalk, which transmits vibration and disturbance that contributes to cracking and shattering of rape seeds. It is not clear from the study cited in the paper how many repetitions there were in testing the siliques for impact, interaction with different materials and collisions with external support. What was their size and moisture content? In the comparative testing of the interaction of silica with nylon material, more detail should have been given on the comparative numerical characteristics of the materials, such as hardness.
Response 2:
According to the expert opinion, we have supplemented the parameters of the basic physical properties of the material.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
The requested changes hace been done
