• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate the load acting on a tractor engine when it delivers the maximum power at drawbar. The results of the drawbar tests on the 5 locally-made and 14 imported tractors conducted at NIAE in 2004, and the 15 tractors tested at OECD test stations in foreign countries were analyzed and presented by the torque load ratio, defined as a ratio of the engine torque load caused by drawbar pull to its full-load capacity, as a function of pull speed. The NIAE test results showed that the torque load ratio increased from 20 to 80% with pull speed less than 5 km/h. At speeds faster than 5 km/h, it was 80${\sim}$110% regardless of the pull speed. However, the OECD test results showed that the torque load ratio was evaluated mostly to be 70${\sim}$90% in the entire pull speed range. The same trend was also shown for the maximum drawbar load. The difference in the torque load ratio may be attributable to bias-ply tires for locally-made and some imported tractors. It is also suggested that the input torque load may be increased safely up to 120% of the full load capacity of the tractor engine for an accelerated life test of tractor transmissions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.92-99
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• 2021

Agricultural tractors drive and operate both off-road and on-road. Tire-road interaction significantly affects the tractive performance of a tractor, which is difficult to predict numerically. Many empirical models have been developed to predict the tractive performance of tractors using the cone index, which can be measured through simple tests. However, a magic formula model that can determine the tractive performance without a cone index can be used instead of traditional empirical models as the cone index cannot be measured on asphalt roads. The aim of this study was to predict the tractive performance of a tractor using the magic formula tire model. The traction force of the tires on an asphalt road was measured using an agricultural tractor. The dynamic wheel load was calculated to derive the coefficients of the traction-slip curve using the measured static wheel load and drawbar pull of the tractor. Curve fitting was performed to fit the experimental data using the magic formula. The parameters of the magic formula tire model were well identified, and the model successfully determined the coefficient of traction of the tractor.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.291-300
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• 1994

It is desired to operate tractor engines at or near maximum torque much of the time in field operation to increase fuel efficiency. To do this it is necessary to reduce engine speed and to shift gears to higher ratios as frequently as possible. Because of load variations in most drawbar work and inconvenience in gear shift, however, gear-type transmission are usually set in one ratio at unnecessarily high engine speeds, and engine-torque variations are used to compensate for changes in drawbar load. As a result, the most of time the tractor is not operated efficiently in terms of fuel consumption and work output. The objective of this study was to develop an automatic control system which is able to operate a tractor equipped with gear transmission under the optimal condition in terms of fuel efficiency with automatic governor setting and gear shift. An indoor experimental test set which can be used to simulate tractor operation, control engine speed and transmission ratio was developed in the previous paper. In this paper, the performance of the optimal operation system is reported. Through a series of tests, it was found that the automatic control system for optimal operation of tractors with gear transmission had a satisfactory performance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.16-25
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• 2019

Recently, due to labor shortages in rural areas within South Korea, the demand for upland-field machinery is growing. In addition, there is a lack of development of systematic performance testing of upland-field machinery. Thus, this study examined structural safety and drawbar pull based on soil properties, as a first step for systematic performance testing on the test bed. First, the properties of soil samples from 10 spots within the experimental site were examined. Second, the strain was measured and converted into stress on 8 points of an onion harvester that are likely to fail. More specifically, the chosen parts are linked to the power, along with the drawbar pull, using a 6-component load cell equipped between the tractor and the onion harvester. The water content of the soil ranged between 5.7%-7.5%, and the strength between 250-1171 kPa. The test soil was subsequently classified into loam soil based on the size distribution ratio of the sieved soil. The onion harvester can be considered as structurally safe based on the derived safety factor and the drawbar pull of 115-1194 kgf, according to the working speed based on agricultural fieldwork.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.83-93
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• 2018

Purpose: This study derived the consumed power and load characteristics of a tillage operation performed in an upland field located in Seomyeon, Chuncheon, Rep. Korea, where potatoes and cabbages were cultivated in two crops. Methods: A plow and rotavator were mounted on a tractor with 23.7 kW of rated power to perform the tillage operation. The work conditions were determined, considering the actual working speed of the tillage operation performed by the local farmers. The power consumption of the rear axle, engine, and power take-off (PTO), PTO torque, and tractive force were measured under each work condition. The consumed power and load characteristics were analyzed using their average values. Results: The rotary-tillage operation consumed more engine power than the plow operation for the same tractor-transmission gear condition. The PTO in the rotary-tillage operation and the rear axle in the plow operation consumed the most power. The power consumption of the engine and the PTO for the rotary-tillage operation tended to increase as the transmission gears of the tractor and the PTO became higher. In contrast, the rear-axle power consumption was insignificant. In addition, the PTO torque tended to rise as the tilling pitch increased. For the plow operation, the drawbar power and the rear axle power accounted for 68-90% of the engine power. The engine and rear axle power, drawbar power, and tractive force tended to rise as the working speed increased. Conclusions: The power consumption and load characteristics differed for the plow and rotary-tillage operations. They may also differ depending on the soil conditions. Therefore, the power consumption and load characteristics in various work environments and regions should be analyzed, and reflected in the design of tractors and working implements. The results derived from this study can be used as a reference for such designs.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.171-179
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• 2013

Purpose: A simulator for the design and performance evaluation of a tractor with a hydro-mechanical transmission (HMT) was developed. Methods: The HMT consists of a hydro-static unit (HSU), a swash plate control system, and a planetary gear. It was modeled considering the input/output relationship of the torque and speed, and efficiency of HSU. Furthermore, a dynamic model of a tractor was developed considering the traction force, running resistance, and PTO (power take off) output power, and a tractor performance simulator was developed in the co-simulation environment of AMESim and MATLAB/Simulink. Results: The behaviors of the design parameters of the HMT tractor in the working and driving modes were investigated as follows; For the stepwise change of the drawbar load in the working mode, the tractor and engine speeds were maintained at the desired values by the engine torque and HSU stroke control. In the driving mode, the tractor followed the desired speed through the control of the engine torque and HSU stroke. In this case, the engine operated near the OOL (optimal operating line) for the minimum fuel consumption within the shift range of HMT. Conclusions: A simulator for the HMT tractor was developed. The simulations were conducted under two operation conditions. It was found that the tractor speed and the engine speed are maintained at the desired values through the control of the engine torque and the HSU stroke.