Abstract
Purpose of this study was to analyze power requirement of an agricultural tractor for baler operation. First, a power measurement system was developed and installed in a 75 kW agricultural tractor. Strain-gages with a telemetry system were used to measure torques of transmission and PTO input shafts. An engine tachometer was used to measure rotational speed of transmission and PTO input shafts. The measurement system also included pressure sensors to measure pressure of hydraulic pumps, an I/O interface to acquire the sensor signals, and an embedded system to determine power requirements. Second, field experiments were conducted at two PTO speed levels, and proportion of utilization ratio of rated engine power and power consumption of major parts (transmission input shaft, PTO input shaft, main hydraulic pump, and auxiliary hydraulic pump) were analyzed. Results of usage proportion of engine power for PTO speed level 1 and 2 were 4.1 and 2.2%, 31.5 and 16.3%, 49.6 and 59.7%, 14.4 and 20.8%, and 0.4 and 1.0%, respectively, for ratio of measured engine power to rated engine power of less than 25%, 25 ~ 50%, 50 ~ 75%, 75 ~ 100%, and greater than 100%. The results showed that the usage proportion increased in the range with the ratio of power requirement to rated engine power of over than 50% when the PTO gear was shifted from P1 to P2. Averaged engine power requirement for baling operation, tying and discharging operation, and total operation were 43.3, 37.3, and 42.0 kW and 49.0, 37.0, and 47.4 kW, respectively, for PTO speed level 1 and 2. Paired t-test showed significant difference in power consumption of engine, transmission input shaft, and PTO input shaft for different PTO speed levels. Therefore, the power consumption of engine for baler operation increased when the PTO gear was shifted from P1 to P2. It was indicated that the power requirement of tractor was affected by the PTO rotational speed for baler operation.
