Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Vibrating Rice Filling Based on EDEM Software

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report (Previous Reviewer 3)

The author has revised the manuscript according to my requirements, and the article can be accepted.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer:

Thank you for your comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Vibrating Rice Filling Based on EDEM Software” (ID: agriculture- 2052145). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. And thank you for your recognition. With regard to the problem that language needs extensive editing, we have improved it through paid editing services. Please check the Editing Certificate in the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report (Previous Reviewer 2)

The authors solve all the problems, I agree to accept it.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer:

Thank you for your comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Vibrating Rice Filling Based on EDEM Software” (ID: agriculture- 2052145). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. With regard to the problem that language needs extensive editing, we have improved it through paid editing services. Please check the Editing Certificate in the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report (Previous Reviewer 1)

The manuscript 'Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Vibrating Rice Filling Based on EDEM Software' is within the scope of the Journal. The authors evaluated rice feeding speed, rice filling height, funnel diameter, amplitude and frequency to reduce rice filling efficiency. The English is satisfactory, and readers will understand its content. The authors should consider the following comments to revise their work to meet the scientific standard of the Journal:

1. Keywords: Most of the keywords are in the title. Consider the following: Rice lotus root; prototype experiment; theoretical analysis; optimal parameters; highest rice quality and production efficiency.

2. Introduction: Provide detailed background/information of rice lotus root (crop production, processing and utilization). In addition, provide detailed literature works or published studies of EDEM application on other agricultural crops/products. This will help to increase the citations.

3. Materials and Methods: Include section 2.6 focused on 'Statistical Analysis' of the experimental data. Indicate the software used and the statistical technique(s). In Table 3, provide the full data (Numbers 1 to 26) because 1-5 and 26 are limited information.

3. Results and Discussion: Please, define the variables v, h, d, A, f, t and k1-k5 and R below the Table 10 for quick understanding of the data presented.

- In Table 11, the use of dot (.) to represent zero (0) should be corrected. Eg. (.751 should be 0.751). Please, revise the values accordingly.

- What is the output data or dependent variable measured in Table 10?

- Discuss the results with published works of other authors to increase the citations becasue only references 26 and 27 were mentioned in lines 293-294.

- Provide much clearer chats (a-e) in Figure 12. Remove the gridlines.

- Give appropriate caption to Figure 13. Remove 'Results'.

- The section 3.4 (Discussion) is not appropriate. You can have Results separately from the Discussion. Eg. Results ( Sections 3.1-3.3) and the Discussion (4.). However, the discussion is too short. Please, organize the results and discussion according to scientific merit.

4. Conclusion: Revise the conclusion according to scientific merit. Indicate the main findings into a single paragraph. The phrase 'under certain other conditions' has been repeated five times. Please, avoid repetitions. 

Author Response

Dear Reviewer:

Thank you for your comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Vibrating Rice Filling Based on EDEM Software” (ID: agriculture- 2052145). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to your comments can be found in the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

This manuscript is a resubmission of an earlier submission. The following is a list of the peer review reports and author responses from that submission.

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The manuscript 'Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Vibrating Rice Filling Based on EDEM' is within the Journal's scope. The English language is satisfactory, and readers will understand its content. The authors evaluated simulation experiments with prototype experiments by analysing the processing parameters and determining the optimal levels of rice filling system. The manuscript needs to be revised according to the following comments:

1. Title: EDEM should be defined in full. 

2. Introduction: The introduction should be further elaborated to include more citations or references. The objective of the study in the first paragraph should be placed at the end of the Introduction, and it should be clearly stated/defined combined with lines 39-42.

3. Materials and Methods: The EDEM software information should be briefly described in a separate Section. Statistical evaluation techniques and software tool should be mentioned and also indicate how the factors effect on the vibration rice filling was tested significantly. 

4. Results: Provide the statistical results (eg. ANOVA analysis or regression analysis or Multivariate analysis) of the data obtained. This information is missing. 

5. Discussion: The discussion as a 'Section' is missing. It is possible to indicate a section as 'Results and Discussion', and discuss the results scientifically by providing more references or comparing with other/related published works to increase the citations list.

6. Conclusions: Avoid bullet points throughout the manuscript (check section 2.1 as well). Present the information in a form of a paragraph. 

7. References: The format/style is not in accordance with the Journals Instructions. Please refer to it closely (Journals name should be abbreviated).

Reviewer 2 Report

In order to find the best parameters of the device in vibrating rice filling, EDEM software was used to conduct numerical simulation of the process of vibrating rice filling and analyze the influence of various influencing factors on the time of rice filling. The similar study have been carried out. So the innovation of the paper is poor. Professional staff are required to polish English because there many grammer mistake. However, the form, wording and structure of the text are seriously flawed, so I recommend that it will be thoroughly revised and resubmitted afterwards.

Here you find my comments to explain this recommendation.

1 P1 L32 The basic idea of the Discrete Element Method is to separate the discontinuity into a set of rigid elements so that each rigid element meets the kinematic equation. The Discrete Element Method should replaced as DEM.

2 P1 L41 The effects of different rice speeds, rice height, funnel diameter, amplitude, and frequency on the vibration rice filling process are obtained [6-8].  The authors should check it again.

3 In part 2, please explain the basis for parameter selection such as 140-210mm,60-85 and so on. P2

4 Fig2 is not clear, please deal with it.

5 Please check EQ(1) in P3

6 Please checkTab1 in P4.

7 References Various order, not alphabetic order.

8 It is suggested to reorganize the introcuction and add references.

Reviewer 3 Report

This paper introduces the numerical simulation method of vibration grouting based on the discrete element method. This is a topic of interest to researchers in related fields, but before accepting publication, this paper needs to be significantly improved. My detailed comments are as follows:

1 The introduction generally puts forward the background first, and then puts forward the problems and methods to be solved?

2. Should the key words be: discrete element method?

3 The number of references is slightly less

4 2.3.1 For parameter correction, most of the parameters refer to different literatures. Is the model constructed by combining these parameters consistent with the actual situation? How to verify?

5. The topic is: numerical simulation and analysis of vibration grouting based on EDEM. What needs to be clarified after analysis? Should it be parameter sensitivity analysis?

6 The parameters in Figure 3 also need to be explained

7 The mass unit in Figure 5 is g, the mass unit in Figure 6 is kg, and the mass unit in Figure 5 is kg/s. The units here need to be unified.

8 square cubic units Note superscript