*Article* **Research on Characteristics of Airway Pressure Loss in Seeding-Wheel-Type Pneumatic Seeder**

**Xirui Zhang 1,2, Zhentuo Wen 1, Qingjie Wang 3, Hongwen Li 3, Zhifu Zhang <sup>1</sup> and Junxiao Liu 1,2,\***

<sup>1</sup> School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China

<sup>2</sup> Sanya Nanfan Research Instituteof Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China

<sup>3</sup> College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China

**\*** Correspondence: 995229@hainanu.edu.cn

**Abstract:** In order to optimize the parameters of the mechanism, reduce the pressure loss and improve the efficiency of pneumatic utilization, the principles and types of pneumatic loss in different areas were defined, and the key parameters, including the diameter of the horizontal air pipe, the angle of the air pipe, and the diameter of the negative pressure aperture, which affect the pressure loss, were analyzed. In addition, an orthogonal simulation experiment was carried out using Fluent software, and determined the best parameter combination, which is as follows: the diameter of the horizontal air pipe must be 15 mm, the angle of the air pipe must be 105◦, and the diameter of the negative pressure aperture must be 34 mm. It can be concluded from the simulation results that the average airflow velocity of the seed-sucking hole is 102.59 <sup>m</sup> · <sup>s</sup><sup>−</sup>1, the minimum airflow velocity of the seed-sucking hole is 101.58 <sup>m</sup> · <sup>s</sup><sup>−</sup>1, and the airflow velocity standard deviation of the seed-sucking hole is 0.54 <sup>m</sup> · <sup>s</sup><sup>−</sup>1. The trend of the test results was consistent with the simulation results, which verified the reliability of the numerical analysis. These results will provide theoretical guidance for research on the obstruction effect of complex airways on airflow.

**Keywords:** pneumatic seeder; pressure loss characteristics; complex airway; airway optimization
