Simulation modelling of mechanical systems for intra-row weeding in a precision farming approach

Aim of study: To test new approaches to perform mechanical weeding inside the row in horticulture and tree fruit fields. The idea is to weed the row by skipping the crop by means of a rotating system instead of a traditional crosswise one. Area of study: North of Italy. Material and methods: Numerical models have been developed to simulate mechanical weeding over time by generating numerical maps to quantify the different kind of worked areas. Main results: Considering the efficiency of weed control on the row, the rotating plant-skipping system with vertical axis (RPSS-VA model) with two working tools gives the best performance index (1.1.RWA% = 95.9%). A similar performance can be obtained by the crosswise displacement plant-skipping system (CDSS model, 1.1.RWA% = 95.9 %), but with very high crosswise translation velocity (with va/vr ratio = 1/5, 1.1.RWA% = 94.5%). With regard to the outwards worked area the RPSS-VA models give the best performances (2.2.%OWAR index from 127.2% up to 282.3%). To reduce the worked area outside the row, the FBTS models give lower index (2.1.OWAR%), while the RPSS-HA works only on the row, but with the lower 1.1.RWA% index among all tested models (55.8%). Research highlights: Rotating systems resulted more efficient than traditional ones, and provide considerations on the use of electric drive power instead of hydraulic one. This study highlights also the need of new approaches in designing lighter working tools. Lastly, the proposed classification of the worked areas could be used as reference standard.

Specific features in operation of road construction equipment in the Far North

The development of the Far North goes hand in hand with the use of road construction equipment. The article addresses the main factors that affect the operation of this equipment in extremely cold climates. The effect of low temperatures on the operation of machines and individual units is examined. In particular, information is provided on the effect of low temperatures on operation of the hydraulic drive, power plants, and metal structures. The influence of the requirement to observe the methodological recommendations regarding the ergonomics and physiology of workers on increasing the cost of works with the use of road construction machinery has been noted.

Optimal Hybridization of Conventional ICE Vehicles

Most commercially available hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) drivetrains are made of small internal combustion (IC) engines and large electric drives to improve fuel economy. They usually have higher cost than the conventional IC-engine-based vehicles because of the high costs of the electric drives. This paper proposes a hybridized powertrain composed of the original full-size engine of the vehicle and a universally optimum size parallel electric drive. The dynamic programming (DP) algorithm was used to obtain the sensitivity of the maximum miles per gallon (MPG) values versus the power rating of the electric drive. This sensitivity was then analyzed to determine the optimal window of the electric drive power ratings. This was proven to be universal for all passenger cars of various masses and engine powers. The fuel economy and vehicle performance of this HEV was compared with those of the 2019 Toyota Corolla, a conventional IC-engine-based vehicle, and the 2019 Toyota Prius, a commercially available HEV. The results showed that the proposed universally optimized HEV powertrain achieved better fuel economy and vehicle performance than both the original ICE and HEV vehicles, at low additional vehicle cost.

Simulation of a hydraulic drive with volumetric regulation of an amphibious vehicle

The article considers a hydraulic drive designed for the fan transmission, which implements the amphibious vehicle chassis on an air cushion. A mathematical model of the dynamics of the hydraulic rotary drive power section with volumetric regulation has been developed. It is proposed to carry out volumetric regulation by means of a directed change in the working volume of the pump. The dynamics of the output link of the hydraulic drive is calculated when a control signal is applied to change the pump washer angle of inclination. The control signal varied from zero to a signal corresponding to 70% of the maximum, and in the range of 70...100%. The basic and structural diagrams of the hydraulic drive are given; its transient characteristics are obtained when the moment of inertia on the shaft of the hydraulic motor changes when the amphibious vehicle is moving. The simulation study focuses on the change in the moment of inertia on the hydraulic motor shaft under various modes of amphibious vehicle movement. The computational studies of the hydraulic drive determine the time of the transient process and the dynamic error. Computational studies of the hydraulic drive revealed its sufficient performance. The use of the developed mathematical model allows choosing the optimal ratio of the hydraulic drive parameters for an amphibious vehicle.

The MODIFICATION OF THE DRIVE SYSTEM IN AUTOMATICAL AMMUNITION CLADDING DETROYER

The era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 military power became one of the important elements because technological developments have changed the entire order of military strategy. One of them is the development of military equipment technology part of weaponry. As is known, often Indonesia army soldiers conduct shooting exercises to defend the Nation and the Unitary State of the Indonesian People (NKRI). With the shooting training there is a lot of waste from bullet cladding. Bullet cladding or patrun is an object that is a container that wraps around a bullet projectile and consists of propellant (gunpowder), rim, and primer. Bullets/munitions after firing can still be recycled back into active munitions. In accordance with the purpose of this study, researchers modified a cladding machine in order toimprove the performance of thetool effectively than before. The research methods used are a combination of experimental and empirical manual calculations to determine the relevant results. The result destruction can cut 3 grains of cladding even more in everyone round of the cutting blade, so this study modified the transmission system, fixed clutch, shaft, straight gear. The transmission uses a1:60 wpa gearbox ratio, with an electric motor drive power of 1.5 kW/ 2 HP, 1450 r / min, using a flange type clutch.

SIMULATION MODEL OF THE BRUSH CUTTER ROTOR WITH SIX BLADES

Brush cutters are used in forestry for the care of forest plantations in operations for cutting unwanted tree and shrub vegetation (TSV). Rotors can be used as working bodies. The rotor we are considering is a flywheel, on the outer sides of which the blades are hinged. When cutting DKR with blades, a cutting moment arises, which is transmitted through the knife to the axis of its rotation and then to the shaft driving the flywheel. When designing a brush cutter structure, the impact from the cutting forces of the DKR is decisive for the choice of drive power and rotor parameters. We designed the brush cutter rotor in CAD Solidworks to study the cutting process of the DKR. Its geometric and mass parameters were set; the kinematic links of the links were established. The input motion characteristics were set in the Motion Solidworks module and the cutting moment was applied to the knives. Virtual sensors were installed on the model to record movement characteristics. As a result of a computer experiment for three options, which differ in cutting force and the presence of a damper, the trajectories of the knives and the power consumption of the drive were established

Optimization of mechatronic drives motion laws for automated equipment

At present, when designing mechatronic cyclic drives the developer as a rule chooses the law of motion, specifying as input data, the cycle time and the amount of movement and often introducing restrictions, for example, on maximum acceleration in case of developing high-speed drives. However, this approach leads to an overestimation of the maximum drive power and, as a result, a significant increase in energy consumption. In this paper it is shown that by choosing a rational law of motion of the drive at the stage of equipment design, it is possible to achieve a sufficiently effective optimization according to various criteria. The efficiency of optimization of different motion laws of cycle drives according to various criteria is analyzed. The dependences between the maximum instantaneous power, the amount of movement, the speed and energy consumption are established and graphically presented confirming the effectiveness of the rational choice of the law of motion parameters under an inertial load. At the same time, it is shown that when synthesizing the law of motion, it is necessary to take into account the maximum possible number of parameters so that the improvement of some parameters does not lead to a decrease in other parameters.