To address the low application accuracy and poor spreading uniformity of conventional lime spreaders, an electromagnetic vibration-assisted variable-rate lime spreader integrating a shaftless screw metering mechanism was developed. The overall configuration and operating principle are presented. Considering the physicochemical characteristics of lime powder, including fine particle size, strong drift tendency, and poor flowability, a shaftless screw metering unit was designed to improve discharge stability and metering accuracy. To enhance dispersion uniformity, a vertical electromagnetic vibration device was developed, and its key parameters were determined through a theoretical analysis of vibration frequency and amplitude. In addition, the structure and kinematic parameters of the spreading disc were optimized by analyzing particle trajectories and outlet distribution patterns. A closed-loop feedback control strategy was implemented to enable precise variable-rate application. Static bench tests demonstrated a metering accuracy of 96.42%, and the dispersion uniformity was at least 84.14% at an electromagnetic vibration frequency of 10 to 18 Hz. Field evaluations further showed that the coefficient of variation for transverse uniformity was no more than 17.88%, while the maximum coefficient of variation for longitudinal stability was 18.09%. These results indicate that the proposed spreader satisfies the operational requirements for accurate and uniform variable-rate application of lime powder.
Wang et al. (Sat,) studied this question.