Abstract
The overturning stability and vibration of upland crop machinery under development are important issues for analysis because farms for upland crops are usually uneven, which may cause work-related fatalities, and vibration affects user comfort and reduces the durability of components. In this study, the overturning stability and vibration of a tractor-mounted radish collector were investigated to ensure safety during radish collection. To analyze lateral stability, the center of gravity (CG) of the tractor-mounted radish collector system was calculated mathematically. Then, a simulation was performed to determine the lateral overturning angles at different folding positions of the radish conveyor belt and load conditions, and the results were validated through tests. Vibration sensors were used to measure the vibration levels and the power spectrum density (PSD) was obtained to check the cyclic apparatuses of the major frequencies. The load conditions, different conveyor speeds, and locations were considered as factors affecting the vibration levels. Considering the physical parameters of the tractor–collector system, the analytical overturning angle was 30.5°. The average overturning angle difference between the simulation and validation was 5°, and the difference between loaded and unloaded conditions was 2°. For 0, 45, and 90° folding positions of the conveyor belt, overturning angles increased and varied from 0.5 to 1°. The vibration level was greater under the unloaded conditions and increased with an increase in the conveyor speed. Vibrations under the loaded condition (0.37~0.48 ms−2) satisfied the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standard (except the first conveyor belt). According to the PSD analysis, high magnitude peaks (>25 dB) appeared frequently in all directions, which indicates a high possibility of damage to the first conveyor belt. This study provides useful information for improving the safety and durability of agricultural machinery for uneven and sloped field conditions.
Highlights
Radishes (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus) are one of the most popular vegetables in manySouth Asian countries (e.g., Korea, Japan, China, India), and the annual production of radishes in Machines 2020, 8, 77; doi:10.3390/machines8040077 www.mdpi.com/journal/machinesKorea, Japan, and China in 2018 was 0.467, 1.328, and 44.600 million tons, respectively [1,2,3]
The center of gravity (CG) of the tractor (CGT: XT, YT, ZT) and tractor–collector system (CGS: XS, YS, ZS) were were 49.86:50.14 and 50.25:49.75, respectively, and were symmetrical each determined using the measured parameters of Equations
Overall findings from the stability analysis indicate that the tractor–collector system could be operated comfortably on land with a slope of up to 30◦
Summary
Japan, and China in 2018 was 0.467, 1.328, and 44.600 million tons, respectively [1,2,3]. It is an annual or biennial crop grown in open fields. Manual harvesting, collecting, and packaging of radishes are the most labor-intensive processes. The mass of each harvested radish varies from 1 to 3 kg, and they all need to be pulled out, collected, and carefully transported to avoid damage. The ratio of labor in harvesting and transporting work is about 26.7% [10], and the mechanization rate of upland crop harvesting is
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
