Optimization of design and operational parameters of a vibration-based seeding device for potato mini-tubers

The mechanized planting of potato mini-tubers is vital for the development of the potato industry in China. A vibration-based seeding device for mini-tubers was designed and tested. The objectives of this study were to describe the design process of the main components of the seeding device by theoretical analysis, evaluate the reliability of the key components of the seeding device by finite element analysis, assess the seeding device’s working performance, and obtain a better combination of operational parameters by bench tests. According to a theoretical analysis of the seeding device design, the eccentricity of the eccentric wheel (EEW), rotational speed of the drive shaft (RSDS) and linear speed of the conveyor belt (LSCB) were selected as critical factors influencing the seeding device’s working performance. A Box-Behnken design (BBD) was applied to conduct bench tests and build regression models. Based on the optimized results, verification experiments were performed by a bench tester. The results showed that the multiple-seeding index (MUSI) was 3.10%, the miss-seeding index (MISI) was 4.01%, and the qualified-seeding index (QSI) was 92.89% when the EEW, RSDS and LSCB were 4 mm, 821 rpm, and 86 mm s-1, respectively. Verification experiments showed that the results agreed well with the theoretical optimization values