Optimization of Automatic Feeding Troughs for Enhanced Efficiency and Accuracy in Grassland Livestock Farming

Strategic Insights -

Research conducted by Inner Mongolia Agricultural University has led to the optimization of automatic feeding troughs for improved efficiency and accuracy in grassland livestock farming. The study focused on the design and testing of an automated pelleted feed trough for sheep feeding management, aiming to enhance feeding efficiency, minimize waste, and reduce costs. The research involved the use of Matlab simulations, discrete element modeling, and a programmable logic controller (PLC) with human-machine interface (HMI) to optimize the angle of repose and structural parameters of the feeding trough. The results showed that the optimal slope was 63°, with optimal baffle heights of 28 mm for fine and medium pellets and 30 mm for coarse pellets.

Key Takeaways:

  • The automatic feeding device is crucial in grassland livestock farming, enhancing feeding efficiency, ensuring regular and accurate feed delivery, minimizing waste, and reducing costs.
  • The uniformity of pellet flow is a critical factor in the study of automatic feeding troughs, and optimizing the movement characteristics of the pellets contributes to enhanced operational efficiency of the equipment.
  • The Matlab method can calibrate the Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) model's surface energy, allowing for precise timing and quantitative feeding.
  • The optimal angle of repose and structural parameters of the feeding trough were found to be 63° and 28-30 mm for fine, medium, and coarse pellets, respectively.
  • The programmable logic controller (PLC) and human-machine interface (HMI) were used for precise timing and quantitative feeding, validating the design's practicality.
  • The experimental metrics showed relative errors of 3.5%, 2.8%, and 4.2% (for average feed rate) and 8.2%, 7.3%, and 1.2% (for flow time).
  • The automatic feeding trough showed a feeding error of 0.3% with PLC-HMI.
  • The research concluded that the optimization of the automatic feeding trough offers a strong foundation and guidance for efficient, accurate pellet feed distribution.

Statistics:

  • The optimal slope of the feeding trough was found to be 63°.
  • The optimal baffle heights for fine, medium, and coarse pellets were 28 mm, 28 mm, and 30 mm, respectively.
  • The relative errors of the experimental metrics were 3.5%, 2.8%, and 4.2% (for average feed rate) and 8.2%, 7.3%, and 1.2% (for flow time).
  • The feeding error of the automatic feeding trough with PLC-HMI was 0.3%.

Sources:

  • Design Optimization and Performance Evaluation of an Automated Pelleted Feed Trough for Sheep Feeding Management. Agriculture, 2025, 15(14): 1487.
  • Inner Mongolia Agricultural University
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China
  • Fundamental Research Funds For Inner Mongolia Directly Affiliated Universities
  • First Class Disciplines Research Special Project
  • MDPI AG (publisher of Agriculture journal)
  • https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.3390/agriculture15141487 (free version of the journal article)
  • Xinyu Gao, College of Electromechanical Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, People's Republic of China
  • Chuanzhong Xuan, Jianxin Zhao, Yanhua Ma, Tao Zhang, Suhui Liu (additional authors)