Development and Performance Test of a Simulation-Based Tractor-Attachable Wind-Blast-Type Onion Stem Cutting Machine

Stem cutting process of many steps in onion farming involves the least supply of machines. Machines developed in foreign countries are not suitable owing to the geographic characteristics of Korea; it is necessary to develop customized machines. Therefore, in this study, a tractor-attachable blast-type onion stem cutting machine was developed to address these issues. To determine the installation angle of a detachable blade with a 300-mm length, 115-mm width, 5-mm thickness, and a cutting angle of 45° at the tip, we compared the simulation results with the analysis results obtained by fabricating a simple experimental device. Despite small differences in values, the R2 between the two results was found to be 0.99; if using a regression equation, they could be adequate for use in estimation. Moreover, by measuring the motor power consumption, wind speed, and high-speed camera shooting, the stem was raised, regardless of its water content, when the installation angle was greater than 30°. Motor power consumption could also be reduced when the installation angle was 30° rather than 40°. Therefore, the optimal cutter blade installation angle for the tractor-attachable blast-type onion stem cutting machine was confirmed to be 30°. The developed machine was tested at various rotating speeds. The best performance was obtained when the test was repeated thrice at a driving speed of 0.4 m/s. The remaining onion stem length averaged 9.98 cm, the standard deviation was 4.72 cm and the stem cutting rate was 96.8%.