Experimental evaluation of traction properties of ultra-low pressure tires

Abstract

Currently, mobile power tools equipped with ultra-low pressure tires are widely used in agriculture when conducting field work in the early spring. For these power tools, fundamentally new wide-profile tires with low load capacity have been developed, featuring ultra-low intra-tire pressure (10-80 kPa), increased profile width, low ply (2-4), high elasticity and soil-covering tread, which in turn provides the necessary traction qualities. Due to the high elasticity of these tires and the relative radial deflection (up to 25 %), the contact area of the tire with the soil increases and the specific pressure decreases. It was determined that due to the cost parameters, a wide range of ultra-low pressure tires, as well as specific features of the tests, they remain insufficiently studied at the moment. In this regard, we conducted bench tests and determined the basic and traction characteristics of the ultra-low pressure tire with a dimension of 1020×420-18 model Bel-79. We derived equations for the dependence of tire performance on various factors. Found that when driving on a concrete supporting base traction properties of the tire are improved with the increase of the internal pressure of the tire and the load on the wheel when driving on the field, prepared for sowing Lucchini support-coupling indicators is observed with a decrease of the internal pressure of the tire and load wheel. It was noted that the results of the tests can be used as reliable initial data for the development of mathematical models of the movement of various mobile power vehicles equipped with ultra-low pressure tires.