Experimental Assessment of Electro-Osmotic Soil-Engaging Tools for Adhesion Reduction

Abstract

Soil adhesion results in significant power consumption and diminishes the working quality of agricultural production. Identifying an effective solution to mitigate soil adhesion is a critical issue for enhancing the efficiency of agricultural machinery. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of utilizing electro-osmotic techniques for reducing soil adhesion. Pull-out tests were conducted on a plate and a cylinder to examine the impact of the electro-osmosis technique on soil adhesion. Experimental factors such as water content, holding time, voltage, and application duration were considered in this research. The results indicated that soil moisture played a pivotal role in determining adhesion; higher moisture levels resulted in increased adhesion when the soil was within its plastic limit and liquid limit range. Furthermore, it was observed that metal tools experienced significantly greater levels of soil adhesion without applying voltage compared to when voltage was applied; moreover, an increase in voltage magnitude and duration led to a decrease in soil adhesion force. For instance, applying a 24 V voltage for 15 s reduced the soil adhesion force on the plate by 52% compared to that without applying voltage; similarly, applying a 30 V voltage for 40 s decreased the soil adhesion force on the cylinder by 32%. Additionally, after conducting electro-osmosis tests, the soil contact surfaces of the plate and cylinder showed clean contact areas with evident traces of water film formation. These findings validate that utilizing electro-osmotic techniques can effectively mitigate soil adhesion while providing valuable insights into their potential application during field operations.