Simulation of the process of separation of sub-conditioned potato tubers by a jet of compressed air

This paper presents a study of the interaction of a compressed air jet with a potato tuber in the area of a roller conveyor. The aim is to determine the optimal nozzle and airflow parameters for the reliable separation of substandard tubers with minimal energy consumption. A cylindrical nozzle with a diameter of 5 mm, positioned without offset from the tuber axis, is used as the baseline. The simulation was performed in the FlowVision environment using a compressible flow model, the Navier-Stokes equations, and the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model (SА). Pressure and velocity field, streamlines, and time dependences of aerodynamic forces projections on the X and Y axes for pressures of 4–8 atm are obtained.

1. Применение пакетов прикладных программ при изучении курсов механики жидкости и газа: учеб. пособие / Т. В. Кондранин, Б. К. Ткаченко, М. В. Березникова [и др.]. – М. : МФТИ, 2005. – 104 с.