Dependence of tractor inactivity working time on field size during tillage
2021
Janulevicius, A., Vytautas Magnus Univ., Kaunas (Lithuania) | Damanauskas, V., Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Akademija, Kedainiai distr. (Lithuania)
The main problems in the operation of agricultural tractors today are related to fuel consumption, work efficiency and environmental impact. The use of the engine power is one of the most important factors in evaluating the performance of a tractor in various tillage operations. Other characteristics of the tractor, such as the fuel consumption, work efficiency and also the impact on the environment, depend on this factor. The continuous tillage process can be divided into productive work operations and non-productive (non-working) operations. Nonworking operations include turns of the tractor at the headlands, also forced stops in order to eliminate machine malfunctions. When the tractor with the working unit turns in the headlands, the engine is running at the nearly idling mode. Idling mode is when the engine is completely unloaded and the tractor working unit is stationary. Idling is a common mode of operation of agricultural tractors, reducing the work efficiency and harming the environment and human health. In fact, agricultural tractors can idle from 10 to 45% of their entire working time. The aim of this work was to examine the methodology for estimating the duration of non-working operations in the tractor’s long-term operation for ploughing fields of different size, based on the tractor’s engine control units ECU data. This methodology should relate the duration of non-working operations of the tractor’s operation with parameters describing the size and shape of the field. The results of this study can be used to develop a technological solution for agricultural work that reduces the inactivity working time of agricultural tractors.
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