Comparison of tractor slip at three different driving wheels on grass
¹Department of handling and transport machinery, Faculty of Engineering, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK949 76 Nitra, Slovak Republic
²Department of Quality and Engineering Technologies, Faculty of Engineering, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK949 76 Nitra, Slovak
*Correspondence: rudolf.abraham@uniag.sk
Abstract:
The paper deals with a possibility of tractor slip reduction on a grass and evaluates an use of two versions of special wheels. Both prototypes were developed at the Department of Transport and Handling of the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra. The first system was designed in 2010 year as blades wheels. The second system (spikes device) consists of spikes which are mounted onto standard tractor tyres with special cuts, was designed in 2014 year. The spikes are settled in these cuts while moving on road surface. The second one is placed near the drive wheels and uses the blades. The spikes and blades are ejected to reduce wheels slip when tractor operates on grass or soil. The base position allows tractor transport on road with standard tyres. The goal of experiments realized on grass surface was to compare mutually slip behaviour achieved. The measurements were realized with standard tyres without any modification, too. A tractor with three types of drive wheels were loaded by heavier tractor. Drawbar pull and wheel rotation speed for slip calculation were measured in tests. The results show a fact that a loss of energy due to the wheels slip increases, while a penetrometric resistance in the surface layers of a soil decreases, at soil humidity 33.2%. An application of both prototypes is very advantageous because they reduce the wheels slip, increase tractor operation efficiency and so protect the soil.
Key words:
slip, soil moisture, spikes wheels, tyres modification