基于数字孪生的采棉机风机气流场动态监测

    Dynamic monitoring method for airflow fields in cotton picker fans using digital twin technology

    • 摘要: 该研究提出一种基于数字孪生技术的采棉机风机出口气流场动态监测方法。系统集成风机数值仿真数据库、流场预测模型及数字孪生监控平台,实现风机物理实体与数字孪生体的实时交互。通过CFD建立风机仿真模型,获取不同转速下流场动态特性;基于代理模型与模糊C均值聚类算法构建快速预测模型,显著降低计算成本。Matlab模型封装为.NET类库,结合C#与Matlab混合编程,在WinForm HMI平台进行流场动态监测。结果表明,系统响应时间均在1 s以内,且总体误差在10%以内,实现风机出口流场的快速、精准预测,可为采棉机及其他农业装备气流场监测提供技术支撑。

       

      Abstract: Traditional airflow field measurement methods for cotton picker fans, such as Pitot tubes, only capture discrete point data and fail to obtain full-flow field information. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, while enabling full-flow field analysis, are limited by high computational costs and long calculation cycles, making real-time monitoring unfeasible. To address these issues, this study aimed to develop a fast and accurate dynamic monitoring method for the airflow field at the outlet of cotton picker fans based on Digital Twin (DT) technology. Firstly, a high-fidelity CFD model of the centrifugal fan was established, and unsteady simulations were performed under rotational speeds ranging from 1000 to 4000 r/min to acquire full-flow field data, including velocity and pressure distributions. Secondly, four surrogate models—Polynomial Response Surface (PRS), Radial Basis Function (RBF), Kriging (KRG), and Support Vector Regression (SVR)—were compared to select the optimal model for fast airflow prediction. Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering was introduced to reduce computational costs by screening representative core sampling nodes from the original dataset. Thirdly, the optimized KRG model was encapsulated into a .NET standard class library using Matlab, and hybrid programming with C# was adopted to develop a Windows Forms (WinForm) Human-Machine Interface (HMI) platform. Finally, a pneumatic conveying test bench was constructed, equipped with a PNP Hall effect sensor for rotational speed measurement and a planar guide rail system for high-precision wind speed data collection at key nodes, to validate the system's performance. CFD simulations indicated that the airflow velocity distribution at the fan outlet became increasingly non-uniform with rising rotational speed, with a maximum velocity difference of 50 m/s at 3500 r/min. Among the four surrogate models, the KRG model demonstrated the best performance, featuring lower Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) compared to the others. FCM clustering reduced the number of training samples by 8.84%, improved response speed by 8.86%, and decreased prediction error by 3.9353% compared with uniform sampling. The final monitoring system, constructed with 821 clustered representative nodes, achieved an average response time of less than 1 second across all tested rotational speeds. Experimental validation showed that the average prediction error between the system outputs and measured values was within 9.26%, with the lowest error of 4.90% at 4000 r/min. Dense grid tests at 3500 r/min confirmed that the relative error of most measuring points was below 8%, even in regions near the volute tongue where airflow separation and eddies occurred. The proposed DT-based dynamic monitoring method for cotton picker fan airflow fields effectively integrates CFD simulation, surrogate modeling, and FCM clustering. It realizes rapid and accurate full-flow field monitoring of cotton picker fans, with real-time responsiveness and prediction accuracy meeting the operational requirements of agricultural machinery. This method provides technical support for the monitoring and optimization of pneumatic conveying systems in cotton pickers and offers a transferable reference for airflow field monitoring in other agricultural equipment, promoting the application of digital twin technology in agricultural engineering.

       

    /

    返回文章
    返回