In order to investigate the aerodynamical properties of grains, the drag force of the grain in air flow and the rising time of a single grain in a vertical pipe were measured. The following grains were investigated: rough rice, wheat, oats and soybean. The results obtained were as follows;
1. In the range of the air velocity from 15 to 45m/s, the drag force of each grain was almost dependent on the pressure drag force. The variations among the drag coefficients of each grain due to the difference of Reynold's number were small as shown in Fig. 2. The drag coefficients of each grain indicated the maximum value in the direction of its Z axis and the minimum value in its X axis except the soybean. The drag coefficient and the terminal velocity in its three axes directions were given in Table 2 when the air velocity was 15m/s.
2. The flying orientation and the rising velocity of an irregular shaped-particle like the grain in a vertical air pipe were not steady and its rising time before reaching the setting height varied in stochastically as shown in Fig. 4. In case of low air velocity, the variation of its rising time was especially large.
3. A mean actual terminal velocity
Vta was defined as the value which subtracted the mean rising velocity before reaching the setting height from the mean air velocity
va in the vertical pipe. The relation of the mean actual terminal velocity
Vta and the mean air velocity
va was shown in Fig. 5.
4. A flying orientation coefficient was defined by the equation (1) from the mean actual terminal velocity
Vta, the maximum terminal velocity
Vtx and the minimum terminal velocity
Vtz.
Vta=
n(
Vtx-
Vtz)+
Vtz (1)
The equation (2) was obtained by this experimental results.
n=0.117
va-0.574 (2)
In this experimental condition,
n was 0.1 to 0.5. It was observed that a rough rice was rised with the posture that its Z axis to be nearly parallel to the direction of the air steam for the low air velocity of about 6m/s. It took its intermediate direction between X and Z axes to be parallel to the air stream for the high air velocity of about 9m/s.
5. If the drag coefficients of the grain for the given three axes are determined, it becomes possible to estimate its mean actual terminal velocity and its rising time at the certain air velocity in the vertical pipe, using this flying orientation coefficient
n for the other grains of which their shapes are similar to rough rice.
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