An experimental study on the impact of the rear track width on the stability of agricultural tractors using a test bench

Gravalos, İoannis; Γιαλαμάς, Θεόδωρος; Loutridis, S.; Moshou, Dimitrios; Kateris, Dimitrios; Xyradakis, Panagiotis; Tsiropoulos, Z.

doi:10.1016/j.jterra.2011.04.003

Cited by 33 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…For these reasons, notwithstanding the complexity of these topics and the potential difficulty of finding viable technical solutions, a continuous work of improvement on agricultural machines to minimize the risk factors can have important repercussions also for the society [1][2][3][4]. In particular, vehicles working in agricultural side-slope activities can easily reach critical conditions from the point of view of their stability [5][6][7][8][9][10]. Therefore, the mechanization of side-slope activities [11] and, in general, the dynamic behaviour of off-road vehicles has been studying since the eighties and it is still an open field of investigation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conventional tractors have been studied also in [15] through a dynamic model capable of investigating the effects of forward speed, ground slope and wheel-ground friction coefficient on the lateral stability at the presence of position disturbances. Other works, based on the same Newtonian approach, consider also a three-dimensional tire-terrain interaction model [16] or the effects of the rear track width and of an additional weight placed on the wheels, on the stability of a tractor when driving on side slopes [7]. If an agricultural implement or a trailer is connected to a tractor, the static and dynamic behaviour of the whole vehicle (tractor + implement/trailer) is substantially different from the behaviour of the same tractor alone: a tractor that is normally stable on a sloping ground could easily and unexpectedly reach critical conditions if carrying or pulling an implement.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A parametric approach for evaluating the stability of agricultural tractors using implements during side-slope activities

Bietresato¹,

Carabin²,

Vidoni³

et al. 2015

ces

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A parametric approach for evaluating the stability of agricultural tractors using implements during side-slope activities / Bietresato, M.; Carabin, G.; Vidoni, R.; Mazzetto, F.; Gasparetto, A.. -In: CONTEMPORARY ENGINEERING SCIENCES. -ISSN 1313-ISSN -6569. -8:28(2015, pp. 1289-1309. OriginalA parametric approach for evaluating the stability of agricultural tractors using implements during side-slope activities 1290Marco Bietresato et al. AbstractA methodological approach for evaluating a priori the stability of agricultural vehicles equipped with different mounted implements and operating on sloping hillsides is shown here. It uses a Matlab simulator in its first phase and, subsequently, the Response Surface Modelling (RSM) to evaluate the coefficients of a set of regression equations able to account for the Type-I and Type-II stability of the whole vehicle (tractor + implement with known dimensions and mass). The regression equations can give reliable punctual numeric estimations of the minimum value of the Roll Stability Index (RSI) and can verify the existence of a Type-I equilibrium without the need of using the simulator or knowing any detail about the model implemented in it. The same equations can also be used to generate many intuitive graphs ("equilibrium maps") useful to verify quickly the possible overturning of the vehicle. A case-study concerning a 4-wheel drive articulated tractor is then presented to show the potential of the approach and how using its tools. The tractor has been studied in three scenarios, differing on where the implement has to be connected to the tractor (1: frontally; 2: frontally-laterally; 3: in the back). After performing a series of simulations, a set of polynomial models (with 6 independent variables) has been created and verified. Then, these models were used, together with the related equilibrium maps, to predict the stability of 8 implements for scenario 1, 7 implements for scenario 2, and 3 implements for scenario 3, evidencing in particular the danger of using a lateral shredder with a mass greater than 245 kg. The proposed approach and its main outcomes (i.e., the regression equations and the equilibrium maps) can give an effective contribution to the preventive safety of the tractor driver, so it could be useful to integrate it in the homologation procedures for every agricultural vehicle and to include the resulting documentation within the tractor logbook.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A parametric approach for evaluating the stability of agricultural tractors using implements during side-slope activities

Bietresato¹,

Carabin²,

Vidoni³

et al. 2015

ces

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This is not only due to the problems related to the overall stability of the vehicle (Gravalos et al, 2011;Hunter, 1993;Previati, Gobbi, & Mastinu, 2014) but in the past was due to the lack of a sufficient technology for creating safe and stable systems (Kassler, 2001). The mechanisation of side-slope activities has therefore been studied since the 1980s and is still an active field of research.…”

Section: Abbreviationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation and stability comparison of different vehicle configurations for robotic agricultural operations on side-slopes

Vidoni

Bietresato

Gasparetto

et al. 2015

Biosystems Engineering

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“…State of the art Most of the works, however, use a Newtonian approach and some of them can consider also a three-dimensional tire-terrain interaction model (Pazooki, Rakheja, & Cao, 2012) or the effects of the rear track width and of an additional weight placed on the wheels on the stability of a tractor when driving on side slopes (Gravalos et al, 2011). Eventual trailers or agricultural implements attached to the tractor change substantially the behaviour of the whole vehicle and could easily lead it to critical conditions, thus they deserve deeper investigations.…”

Section: Journal Of Agricultural Engineering 2013; Volume Xliv(s2):e133mentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulated stability tests of a small articulated tractor designed for extreme-sloped vineyards

Mazzetto¹,

Bietresato²,

Gasparetto³

et al. 2013

J Agricult Engineer

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A new reversible wheeled articulated tractor, designed to work in terraced vineyards trained with "pergola" system, common in mountain areas, is here described in its latest version and analysed through numerical simulations.This tractor has small dimensions, necessary to operate in that environment, and its central articulation has two rotational degrees-offreedom. The described features are surely strong design points but could be critical for vehicle's stability, as affecting the supporting base's dimensions and shape. Therefore, the tractor was equipped with a new automatic safety system: a self-locking articulation activated by contact sensors on the wheels. This device makes the vehicle partially-rigid in case of lateral unbalancing, so that rollover can happen only by overcoming the whole vehicle mass.A mathematical description of vehicle-ground interactions was implemented to deeply inquiry the tractor behaviour in different configurations (straight, angled) at increasing values of ground slope; roll and pitch stability indexes were then computed and used for comparisons with conventional tractors.Thanks to the low centre-of-gravity, the resulting rollover angle with the vehicle in straight configuration is promising (43.8°→96%): it is greater than the maximum lateral (20°→36%) and frontal (38°→78%) slope angle ever recorded on terraced vineyards. The same rollover angle is lower when the tractor turns.

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An experimental study on the impact of the rear track width on the stability of agricultural tractors using a test bench

Cited by 33 publications

References 15 publications

A parametric approach for evaluating the stability of agricultural tractors using implements during side-slope activities

A parametric approach for evaluating the stability of agricultural tractors using implements during side-slope activities

Evaluation and stability comparison of different vehicle configurations for robotic agricultural operations on side-slopes

Simulated stability tests of a small articulated tractor designed for extreme-sloped vineyards

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