PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF FARM TRACTOR USING VARIABLE WEIGHTS ON REAR WHEELS DURING PLOUGHING AND SOWING OPERATIONS

Abstract

The general objectives of this study were to investigate the performance characteristics of a farm tractor during ploughing (chisel plough) and sowing (seed drill) using variable weights from (0 to 500 kg) on the rear tractor wheels, and different traveling speeds from (2.78 to 5.68 km/h). the ploughing depths were (15-20 cm) , and the average moisture content was (20.15 %). The soil texture was found to be a (Silty clay). The rear tier sizes of the tractor and inflation pressure were 16.9/14-38 and 150 kPa, respectively. The study was concentrated on the rate of fuel consumption, required power, specific energy, drawbar pull, tractor wheel slippage, tractive efficiency, effective field capacity and field efficiency. The obtained results, for the range of tests, showed that the use of 500 kg weight on the tractor rear wheel at 3.1 km/h traveling speed produced the highest value (74.4 %) of tractive efficiency, in case of chisel plough operation, and (in the mean time) the wheel slippage, filed efficiency, fuel consumption, required power, specific energy were 7.46 %, 80.22%, 15.11 l/h, 46.58 kW, and 43.13 kW.h/fed, respectively. While in case of seed drill operation, the use of 500 kg weight at 3.07 km/h traveling speed produced the highest value (57.7 %) of tractive efficiency, and the wheel slippage, filed efficiency, fuel consumption, required power, specific energy were 2.84 %, 76.55 %, 4.63 l/h, 14.27 kW, and 8.25 kW.h/fed, respectively. In general, the traveling speed and the weight on the rear tractor wheels were the most important factors that affecting the drawbar pull and the specific energy.