Enhancing Safety through Optimal Placement of Components in Hydrogen Tractor: Rollover Angle Analysis

Abstract

Hydrogen tractors are being developed, necessitating consideration of the variation in the center of gravity depending on the arrangement of components such as power packs and cooling modules that replace traditional engines. This study analyzes the effects of component arrangement on stability and rollover angle in hydrogen tractors through simulations and proposes an optimal configuration. Stability is evaluated by analyzing rollover angles in various directions with rotations around the tractor’s midpoint. Based on the analysis of rollover angles for Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 hydrogen tractors, Type 2 demonstrates superior stability compared to the other types. Specifically, when comparing lateral rollover angles at 0° rotation, Type 2 exhibits a 2% increase over Type 3. Upon rotations at 90° and 180°, Type 2 consistently displays the highest rollover angles, with differences ranging from approximately 6% to 12% compared to the other types. These results indicate that Type 2, with its specific component arrangement, offers the most stable configuration among the three types of tractors. It is confirmed that the rollover angle changes based on component arrangement, with a lower center of gravity resulting in greater stability. These findings serve as a crucial foundation for enhancing stability in the future design and manufacturing phases of hydrogen tractors.

Estimation of Soil Characteristic Parameters for Electric Mountain Tractor Based on Gauss–Newton Iteration Method

“…Due to the fact that W, DP, and T can be directly measured by onboard sensors, these four soil characteristic parameters can be calculated through Equations ( 20)- (22), as shown in the algorithm framework in Figure 4. Due to the fact that W, DP, and T can be directly measured by onboard sensors, these four soil characteristic parameters can be calculated through Equations ( 20)-( 22), as shown in the algorithm framework in Figure 4.…”

“…Due to the low soil bearing capacity and adhesion capacity in hilly and mountainous areas, it is easy to for wheel sinking and slipping to occur, even causing an inability to drive normally, resulting in the tractor's mobility being reduced, soil structure damage, intensified tire wear, and increased energy consumption, which brings great difficulties to agricultural production [21][22][23][24][25][26]. The fast and accurate identification of wheel soil parameters during tractor operation can realize the predictive control of traction and driving wheel torque, improve the tractor's passability, and, thus, help implement effective path planning and provide a data base for unmanned or intelligent driving.…”

Enhancing Tractor Stability and Safety through Individual Actuators in Active Suspension

“…Compared to automobiles, tractors are often operated in difficult driving conditions, such as uneven terrain or slopes, thus having a relatively high risk of rollover accidents [1]. As per statistics, rollover accidents not only account for a large portion of agricultural machinery accidents but also cause serious injuries and driver deaths [2][3][4]. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics [5], rollover accidents account for the highest percentage of accidents in the agricultural sector.…”