Determination of Physical and Mechanical properties of Sugarcane Single-Bud Billet

Determining the physical and mechanical properties of sugarcane single-bud billets is a critical step in the mechanical structure design of a sugarcane planter. In this study, the TaiTang F66 cultivar sugarcane samples are analyzed. The moisture content of the billets is found to range from 63.78% to 77.72%, and the average density is 244.67 kg/m3. The coefficient of restitution (CoR) of the samples is determined by conducting a drop test wherein the samples are dropped onto a steel plate from different heights. The static friction coefficient (SFC) of four types of samples is determined by the inclined plate method at two orientations. In addition, the rolling friction coefficient (RFC) is determined at three plate inclination angles and sample displacement. The experiment results show that with increasing drop height and moisture content, the billet steel CoR decreases from 0.625 to 0.458, while the billet billet CoR increases from 0.603 to 0.698. With an increase in contact area, the billet steel SFC decreases from 0.515 to 0.377 and the billet billet SFC decreases from 0.498 to 0.323. With increasing angle and sample displacement, the billet steel RFC increases from 0.0315 to 0.2175 and the billet billet RFC increases from 0.0203 to 0.1007. These parameters are useful in the design and optimization of sugarcane single-bud billet planters using EDEM simulation.