Devs based modeling and simulation of agricultural machinery movement

Abstract

Field operations planning has become critical for the operational efficiency of agricultural activities, in terms of time and cost. To address this type of planning problem, we (1) developed a modeling capability built using a Discrete Event Simulation (DES) approach and object-oriented prgramming, and (2) propose a methodology extending field data to allow spatial operations on various geometric types. The simulation model developed using the Discrete Event Specification System (DEVS) formalism, captures the equipment characteristics and tracks the evolution of its movement across the field via state transition tables. The model is data driven and spatially and temporally detailed, which are key features to accurately estimate field efficiency. Our modeling approach offers more rigor in the component behavior definition and more flexibility enabling the handling of fields and equipment of various shapes and physical characteristics, respectively. The validity of the model was tested, with an error margin of 15%, by comparing its performance with empirical data collected from switchgrass harvesting equipment.