Simulation research on properties of spherical manure granules

To increase the effectiveness of fertilizers, fertilization technologies are constantly being improved, the quality of fertilizers is improved, and optimal application rates are selected. To protect the soil and the surrounding environment, even organic fertilizers must be spread on the soil following agro-technical requirements. The uniform distribution of organic granular fertilizers in the soil is complicated due to their different physical mechanical properties and the shape of the granules, compared to mineral fertilizers. Experimental studies are constantly being conducted to determine the properties of granular organic manure fertilizers, but these studies are time-consuming and some require special, expensive equipment. Modern engineering modelling programs simulate the properties of granular fertilizers and allow significantly expand the limits of experiments. The simulation of their properties can be done faster, and the results are sufficiently accurate, having an experimentally verified digital model of organic fertilizers. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of properties of spherical granular organic fertilizers in poultry manure spreading using the discrete element Altair EDEM simulation program. Simulation studies were carried out on spherical organic fertilizer bulk density, static and dynamic collapse angles, and static and dynamic friction coefficients of granules. The obtained results showed that the bulk density of the sphere-shaped organic manure granules was higher, the angles of collapse and the pile were slightly smaller and the coefficients of friction were higher, compared to the cylindrical organic fertilizers made from the same manure. These properties have the greatest effect on the uniform spreading of these fertilizers when using centrifugal fertilizer spreaders, so when using spherical fertilizers, they are spread more evenly when spreading sufficiently high rates of fertilizer.