Abstract:Aiming at the adaptability of the seed supply device at different operating speeds and the lack of seed supply precision in the existing air-assisted direct seeding operations for oilseed rape,a high-speed air-fed bi-variable seed supply device for oilseed rape was designed. This device achieved a wide range of precise seed supply by combining “variable aperture length + variable rotational speed”. Based on elucidating the working principle of the seed supply device, a three-stage kinematic model of seed supply-carrying-dropping was established. Key structural and operational parameters, such as aperture structure, rotational speed of the seed metering groove wheel, and aperture length were determined. Through bench tests, the relationship model among rotational speed, aperture length, and seed supply rate was studied, and a bi-variable control strategy for seed metering rotational speed and aperture length was constructed at different sowing rates and operating speeds. Comparative experiments on single-variable and bi-variable seed supply performance were conducted. The bench test results showed that the bi-variable seed supply device achieved a seed supply accuracy of no less than 93.3% within the rotational speed range of 15~70r/min, which was 8.2 percentage points higher than that of the single-variable type. The seed supply rate ranged for the single-variable and bi-variable types were 35.7~123.2g/min and 37.3~286.0g/min, respectively. The bi-variable seed supply device demonstrated higher seed supply precision within the range of 2.25~6kg/hm2. Furthermore, the road test results for sowing performance indicated that, at the same seeding rate and different operating speeds, the seed supply accuracy ranged from 90.61% to 97.69%, and the coefficient of variation for the uniformity of sowing rate among rows ranged from 1.69% to 3.90%, meeting the national standards and relevant industry requirements. Field test results showed that, within the sowing rate range of 2.25~5.25kg/hm2 and operating speeds of 3~12km/h, the seed supply accuracy can reach up to 97.6%. The coefficients of variation for the consistency of sowing rate among rows and the stability of sowing rate were no more than 11.1% and 9.5%, respectively. The bi-variable seed supply device can meet the requirements for precision seed supply in air-assisted direct seeding operations for oilseed rape.