Research and Experiment on Variable-Diameter Threshing Drum with Movable Radial Plates for Combine Harvester
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
In this paper, the optimal working parameters related to threshing performance of the combine harvester under different working conditions and regions were explored. The three factors that had the most significant impact on threshing quality were selected by using Variable-diameter threshing drum with movable radial plates, and the response surface tests of three factors and three levels were carried out. Through the response surface analysis of the test results by Design-Expert, mathematical models of entrained loss rate, un-threshed rate and breakage rate and test factors were established respectively. In this paper, three factors affecting threshing quality are tested. The test results play an important role in the adaptive threshing of the Combine harvester. The research of the subject has an important reference significance for the adaptive harvesting of multiple crops in the Combine harvester. This paper still has the following deficiencies.
1. In this paper, 17 groups of three-factor and three-level response surface tests were carried out. How were the test parameters of each group realized on the combine harvester? Such as: how to adjust the rotation speed of the threshing drum?
2. This paper mainly introduces the Variable-diameter threshing drum with movable radial plates, but the introduction about the research status of variable diameter threshing drum is less, it is suggested to add 1~2;
3. The letter K in the kilogram of mass in tables 1, 2 and 3 should be capitalized;
4. The "r" and "s" in "dr" and "ds" in lines 136 and 137 should be subscripts;
5. "2" in "R2" in lines 259, 289 and 319 should be superscript;
6. The axis coordinates and numbers on the axis of the response surface analysis diagram (FIG. 10) in this paper are obscured, so it is suggested to adjust them;
7. "Sj" in Table 8, where "j" should be the subscript.
Author Response
Dear expert, thank you very much for your review of my manuscript. In response to your valuable comments, my reply is as follows:
Point 1: In this paper, 17 groups of three-factor and three-level response surface tests were carried out. How were the test parameters of each group realized on the combine harvester? Such as: how to adjust the rotation speed of the threshing drum?
Response 1: Respected expert, there were three adjustment parameters for this test: feeding amount, threshing drum speed and threshing gap. The feeding amount was controlled by the forward speed, the threshing drum speed was adjusted by the gearbox of the drum, and the threshing gap was adjusted by changing the diameter of the Variable-diameter threshing drum.
Point 2: This paper mainly introduces the Variable-diameter threshing drum with movable radial plates, but the introduction about the research status of variable diameter threshing drum is less, it is suggested to add 1~2;
Response 2: At present, there are few studies on the variable diameter threshing drum, so there were few references, but I found two more after searching and added them to the references, as shown in lines 54-58.
Point 3: The letter K in the kilogram of mass in tables 1, 2 and 3 should be capitalized;
Response 3: Thank you for your comments, I have revised it, as shown in tables 1, 2 and 3.
Point 4: The "r" and "s" in "dr" and "ds" in lines 136 and 137 should be subscripts;
Response 4:Thank you for your comments, I have corrected in the article.
Point 5: "2" in "R2" in lines 259, 289 and 319 should be superscript;
Response 5: Thank you for your comments, I have made modifications in the article.
Point 6: The axis coordinates and numbers on the axis of the response surface analysis diagram (FIG. 10) in this paper are obscured, so it is suggested to adjust them;
Response 6: Thank you for the problems you pointed out. For the unclear diagram, I have replaced it in the article
Point 7: "Sj" in Table 8, where "j" should be the subscript.
Response 7: Thanks for the expert's point out, in view of this problem, I have made modifications in the article.
I also hope you can continue to give me valuable comments on my reply, I wish you all the best.
Reviewer 2 Report
In order to solve the problem that the threshing performance of large combine harvester was reduced due to the non-adjustable diameter of threshing drum, a Variable-diameter threshing drum with movable radial plates based on the principle of concentric regulation was studied. The subject is interesting for researchers working in the field of agricultural engineering. Abstract is informative, material and methods contain a sufficient data and will be useful for other researchers to repeat.
Question 1： Is there detection and feedback for the variable-diameter gap? What is the accuracy of the gap adjustment?
Question 2：The feeding amount is estimated according to the field, what is the actual error? Can it meet the test requirements?
Question 3：The sample introduction is not specific, and some varieties are easy to be threshed or damaged. Does the difference of rice varieties affect the threshed performance?
The words in this paper are accurate, the expression is precise and the grammar is correct.
Author Response
Dear expert, thank you very much for your review of my manuscript. In response to your valuable comments, my reply is as follows:
Point 1: Is there detection and feedback for the variable-diameter gap? What is the accuracy of the gap adjustment?
Response 1: The monitoring of threshing gap was indirectly obtained by monitoring the diameter of the threshing drum, and the change value of the threshing drum diameter was obtained by the displacement sensor, and was displayed on the instrument in the cab, the monitoring accuracy was 0.1mm.
Point 2: The feeding amount is estimated according to the field, what is the actual error? Can it meet the test requirements?
Response 2: According to the comparison of our on-site prediction and sampling test results, the error of feeding amount was within 0.1~0.3Kg/s. Under the condition of small fluctuation of feeding amount, the impact on threshing performance was not very large, so it can fully meet the test requirements.
Point 3: The sample introduction is not specific, and some varieties are easy to be threshed or damaged. Does the difference of rice varieties affect the threshed performance?
Response 3: Thank you very much for your suggestion. Different rice varieties have certain differences in threshing performance. The rice variety selected in this paper was Zhendao32, which has been added in the paper, as shown in line 172. Our research is to explore the best combination of working parameters under multi-crop, multi-variety, multi-condition and multi-environment, in order to contribute to the adaptive harvest of combine harvesters.
I also hope you can continue to give me valuable comments on my reply, I wish you all the best.
