Early-Stage Assessment of Additively Manufactured Airflow-Conditioning Filters for Pneumatic Seed Separation: A Conceptual Scenario-Based Framework

Pneumatic seed separation depends on the interaction between seed properties, airflow characteristics, and separator operating conditions. However, non-uniform airflow can reduce separation quality, increase seed losses, and require repeated processing. Additively manufactured filters offer the possibility of controlling airflow through tailored porous geometries, but their effects on seed separation remain uncertain. This study proposes a literature-informed, conceptual scenario-based framework for the early-stage assessment of airflow-conditioning filters in pneumatic seed separation. Published relationships between filter geometry and airflow, and between airflow, seed properties, and separation performance, are combined into three technological scenarios. The first examines whether improved airflow distribution could increase product purity, reduce seed losses, and decrease the number of separation passes. The second investigates whether small, medium, and large seed categories require different filter geometries or whether a single geometry could provide suitable airflow conditions through adjusted operating parameters. The third considers filter clogging caused by separated seeds accumulating near the filter and examines graded geometries as a possible design response. These scenarios define testable hypotheses rather than demonstrated performance improvements. CFD simulations and experimental investigations are not performed in this study but are required for subsequent validation of the proposed hypotheses.