Typical performance behavior of a Diesel cycle agricultural tractor engine with electronic injection management and turbocharger

ABSTRACT: Over the past few years, changes have been observed in the behavior of typical performance curves, after higher technology has been incorporated into the agricultural tractor engines, either to satisfy the ceiling of the new pollutant gas emission limits or to achieve better efficiency. The aim of this study was to assess the typical performance behavior of an agricultural tractor engine, possessing electronic injection management, turbocharger, aftercooler and EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) treatment system. An analysis was done of the information the manufacturers provided, in terms of nominal power, maximum power and maximum power with Booster, maximum torque and maximum torque with Booster. From the results, the percentage difference between the nominal power and maximum power were found to hover anywhere from 1.49 to 11.97%, for the same manufacturer, 0% in another manufacturer and 9% in a third manufacturer, for all the models. Similar results were noted for the data reported on the maximum torque and maximum torque with Booster, giving 0.62% as the minimum value, 7.44% as the average value and 12.65% as the maximum value for the entire series.

Influence of Geometry in the Behavior of Disc-Shaped Mechanical Energy Absorbers for Agricultural Tractors

Disc-shaped mechanical energy absorbers (MEAs), in combination with rollover protection structures (ROPSs), may contribute to the prevention of the infringement of the safety zone and the collapse of the ROPS in case of the overturn of an agricultural tractor. An MEA can absorb a significant amount of potential energy of an overturning tractor and its deformation produces a rotation of the ROPS around the safety zone. In this research, MEAs with two different geometries have been developed. Both geometries present common features, such as disc dimensions, number of rings, and number of arms, but the distribution of the arms differs. Additionally, these MEA were manufactured in steel discs of four different thicknesses, ranging from 2 to 6 mm. The manufactured MEAs were tested in a universal testing machine, and their behavior characterized. From this data, linear models of the MEAs were developed. As a consequence, a number of characteristic parameters were selected and calculated, such as the activation load and the strain energy absorbed in a safe range of applied loads. Some patterns and trends were analyzed from the tested MEAs, which enables a better description of their behavior and the extrapolation of this behavior to other non-tested thicknesses and geometries.

Design and FEM strength analysis of an innovative design of a front loader with an extension dedicated to the KUBOTA M5

Most of the front loaders are compact structures that do not allow loading at greater heights. On the Polish and foreign market, there was a need to develop a front loader design that would allow to increase the loading height. As a result, the front loader was designed a front loader with the possibility of extending the arms for the Kubota M5 agricultural tractor. The system enables unloading and loading of cubes, straw and hay bales on higher piles. Before starting the design process, the available front loader solutions were analyzed and on this basis, three concepts of design solutions were proposed. These concepts were scored on the basis of the adopted criteria and the one with the highest number of points was selected. For the selected concept, strength analytical calculations and verification calculations using the FEM method were performed. The developed loader is innovative compared to other available designs and has a good chance of implementation.

Noise exposure and its impact on psychological health of agricultural tractor operators

Constant exposure of noise to the auditory system of the agricultural tractor opera- tor can cause physical and psychological problems. A field study was conducted in the Faisalabad and Narowal districts of Pakistan to examine the spread of tractor noise and its psychological effects on the safety of tractor operators driving tractors without cabins and other noise reduction measures. Four of the most common imple- ments used in Pakistan, including land scraper, cultivator, disk harrow and seed drill, were used to detect the changes in tractor noise at two speeds of 5.3 km/h and 10.6 km/h in all four directions. Lowest noise was produced during the field operation of the seed drill at a mean noise value of 81.9 dB(A) among all four implements. Disk harrow and cultivator were found to be the most noisy implement, and during oper- ation, the tractor operator was directly exposed to high noise levels of 86.9 dB(A) and 84.9 dB(A), respectively. This noise pollution caused psychological problems in agri- cultural tractor operators, as demonstrated by the highly positive correlations of de- pression, aggression, anxiety and stress. This trend had a negative effect on their social interactions relative to the comparable population of office employees. In or- der to mitigate the adverse health effects, tractor operators must be equipped with sound proof cabins or at least ear plugs because of direct exposure to high noise levels. Furthermore, a safe distance of 48 m or at least a warning distance of 26 m from the tractor must be maintained by farm workers.

Brief analysis of the provision of agricultural machinery to agricultural enterprises of the Republic of Belarus

Long-term foreign and domestic experience in agricultural production proves that the intensification of agricultural production, an increase in its efficiency and volumes, an increase in the competitiveness of agricultural products, is impossible without constant modernization of the production and technical base and the introduction of the most modern achievements of scientific and technological progress. Only a comprehensive and systematic technical and technological reequipment of agricultural production, saturation of it with high-tech, high-performance complexes, machines, equipment can provide a significant increase in labor productivity, minimize the cost of all types of material resources with a steady trend of constantly decreasing labor resources in agricultural production. The analysis of indicators of provision with the main types of machines of domestic agricultural enterprises in comparison with different countries of the world is carried out. The article presents the results of the analysis of the most important segments of the agricultural tractor and combine park of the Republic of Belarus.

Applying the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) Approach to Predict the Tractive Performance of an Agricultural Tractor during Semi-Deep Tillage

This study aimed to evaluate the ability of the response surface methodology (RSM) approach to predict the tractive performance of an agricultural tractor during semi-deep tillage operations. The studied parameters of tractor performance, including slippage (S), drawbar power (DP) and traction efficiency (TE), were affected by two different types of tillage tool (paraplow and subsoiler), three different levels of operating depth (30, 40 and 50 cm), and four different levels of forward speed (1.8, 2.3, 2.9 and 3.5 km h−1). Tractors drove a vertical load at two levels (225 kg and no weight) in four replications, forming a total of 192 datapoints. Field test results showed that all variables except vertical load, and different combinations of this and other variables, were effective for the S, DP and TE. Increments in speed and depth resulted in an increase and decrease in S and TE, respectively. Additionally, the RSM approach displayed changes in slippage, drawbar power and traction efficiency, resulting from alterations in tine type, depth, speed and vertical load at 3D views, with high accuracy due to the graph’s surfaces, with many small pixels. The RSM model predicted the slippage as 6.75%, drawbar power as 2.23 kW and traction efficiency as 82.91% at the optimal state for the paraplow tine, with an operating depth of 30 cm, forward speed of 2.07 km h−1 and a vertical load of 0.01 kg.