Authors

Abstract

The protein content of alfalfa leaves surpasses that of stems significantly, rendering harvested alfalfa following stems-leaves separation a valuable resource for livestock feed, thus ensuring the provision of high-quality raw materials for production. This study introduces a novel process for stems-leaves separation, alongside the establishment of a suspension velocity experiment rig aimed at investigating and determining the suspension velocity of alfalfa leaves, stems, and plants across various moisture levels. The relationship among various factors including different alfalfa components, the length of lateral branches, stem lengths, Moisture Content (MC), and suspension velocity was empirically derived through experimentation. In this study, the chopping and blowing method was proposed, where the alfalfa was cut into pieces according to a certain length, and then the alfalfa was blown apart by generating airflow through a fan. To comprehensively analyze the impact of airflow velocity and cutting length on the Separation Evaluation Index, a response surface mathematical model was developed. The empirical findings indicate optimal stems and leaves separation of alfalfa when the airflow velocity reaches 4.29556 m/s, paired with a cutting length of 33.7956 mm. Conclusively, this experiment validates the efficacy of the chopping and blowing separation method for alfalfa stems and leaves segregation, thereby offering valuable insights into alfalfa stems and leaves separation practices. The outcomes of this study hold significant reference value for the broader alfalfa agricultural domain.

Abstract in Chinese

苜蓿的叶片蛋白质含量远远高于茎秆，进行茎叶分离收获后的苜蓿可以作为畜牧饲料提供优质的生产原料。本文采用了一种全新的工艺进行茎叶分离，搭建了悬浮速度试验台，分别研究测定了苜蓿的叶片、茎秆、植株在不同含水率情况下的悬浮速度。通过试验得出了苜蓿的不同组分、侧枝长度、茎秆长度、含水率(MC)与悬浮速度的关系。本研究提出了切断-气吹分离方法，将苜蓿按照一定的长度将其切分，再通过风机产生气流将苜蓿吹分。建立了响应面数学模型，分析了气流速度和切断长度对分离评估指数 (SEI)的影响。实验结果表明，在气流速度为4.29556m/s，切断长度为33.7956mm时，苜蓿的茎叶分离效果最好。本试验得出了切断-气吹分离法是苜蓿茎叶分离的一种可行方法，研究结果可以为苜蓿茎叶分离提供参考价值。