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Minimizing Planter Fan Exhaust Velocity to Reduce Environmental Effects

dc.contributor.advisorBergstrom, Donald
dc.contributor.advisorRoberge, Martin
dc.contributor.committeeMemberCree, Duncan
dc.contributor.committeeMemberSumner, David
dc.contributor.committeeMemberMeda , Venkatesh
dc.contributor.committeeMemberSoltan, Jafar
dc.creatorBoyko, Michael 1990-
dc.creator.orcid0000-0001-8242-121X
dc.date.accessioned2018-09-19T22:21:01Z
dc.date.available2020-09-19T06:05:07Z
dc.date.created2018-08
dc.date.issued2018-09-19
dc.date.submittedAugust 2018
dc.date.updated2018-09-19T22:21:01Z
dc.description.abstractVacuum fans are a critical component of planters used to draw seeds to a rotating perforated disc for precision sowing. As seeds adhere to the disc it is possible for the coatings to become dislodged, pass through the vacuum fan, and be exhausted into the surroundings. To minimize the possible environmental effects from the fan exhaust, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) passed the ISO 17962 standard. It sets limits on the air velocity measured at a 2 m radius from the fan, and specifies that the exhaust from the fan must be directed groundward. In partnership with CNH Industrial, research was performed to assess the ability of the CNH Industrial vacuum fan to meet this standard. The research had two main goals: to determine if the vacuum fan could meet the standard, and to show that computational fluid dynamics (CFD) could be an effective tool for measuring compliance with the standard. The first part of the project was to experimentally determine the ability of the fan to meet the standard. This was accomplished by building and testing three fan configurations using the parameters specified in the ISO standard. The first configuration was inverting the fan to direct its exhaust groundward. The second was attaching a two-dimensional (2D) square diffuser to the fan, which reduced the exhaust velocity and redirected it to the ground. The third was attaching a manifold diffuser to the fan, which divided the exhaust into multiple slower exhaust jets, directed towards the ground. Results from all three configurations indicated exhaust velocities that were measured to be below the ISO standard thresholds (less than 2 m/s or 4 m/s, depending on measurement elevation, with the higher velocity limit imposed closer to the ground). The second part of the project was to create CFD simulations of the inverted fan and 2D square diffuser configurations, and compare them to the experimental results. The models were able to predict the locations and magnitudes of peak velocities around both configurations. This showed that CFD could be an effective tool for measuring standard compliance. Finally, the CFD models were used to compare the inverted fan to the 2D square diffuser, in terms of impact on the surroundings. It was found that by reducing the fan exhaust velocity, less air would become entrained by the exhaust jet, indicating a reduced likelihood of spreading fugitive seed coatings. Also, the slow exhaust jet would create less of a disturbance when impinging upon the ground.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10388/10728
dc.subjectFluid Mechanics
dc.subjectCFD
dc.subjectAgricultural Machinery
dc.subjectDiffuser Design
dc.subjectEnvironment
dc.subjectAgriculture
dc.subjectCentrifugal Fan
dc.titleMinimizing Planter Fan Exhaust Velocity to Reduce Environmental Effects
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialtext
local.embargo.terms2020-09-19
thesis.degree.departmentMechanical Engineering
thesis.degree.disciplineMechanical Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Saskatchewan
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.Sc.)

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