• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to install an RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematic-Global Positioning System) and IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) on a tractor used in a farm to measure positions, pasture topography, posture angles, and vibration accelerations, translate the information into maps using the GIS, analyze the characteristics of grass harvesting work, and establish new technologies and construction standards for pasture infrastructure improvement based on the analyzed data. Method: Tractor's roll, pitch, and yaw angles and vibration accelerations along the three axes during grass harvesting were measured and a GIS map prepared from the data. A VRS/RTK-GPS (MS750, Trimble, USA) tractor position measuring system and an IMU (JCS-7401A, JAE, JAPAN) tractor vibration acceleration measuring systems were mounted on top of a tractor and below the operator's seat to obtain acceleration in the direction of progression, transverse acceleration, and vertical acceleration at 10Hz. In addition, information on regions with bad workability was obtained from an operator performing grass harvesting and compared with information on changes in tractor posture angles and vibration acceleration. Results: Roll and pitch angles based on the y-axis, the direction of forward movements of tractor coordinate systems, changed by at least $9-13^{\circ}$ and $8-11^{\circ}$ respectively, leading to changes in working postures in the central and northern parts of the pasture that were designated as regions with bad workability during grass harvesting. These changes were larger than those in other regions. The synthesized vectors of the vibration accelerations along the y-axis, the x-axis (transverse direction), and the z-axis (vertical direction) were higher in the central and northwestern parts of the pasture at 3.0-4.5 m/s2 compared with other regions. Conclusions: The GIS map developed using information on posture angles and vibration accelerations by position in the pasture is considered sufficiently utilizable as data for selection of construction locations for pasture infrastructure improvement.

• Journal of Drive and Control
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.133-140
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• 2020

Traction performance of a tractor varies depending on soil conditions. Sinkage and slip of the driving wheel for tractor frequently occur in a reclaimed land. The objective of this study was to develop a tractor suitable for a reclaimed land. Traction performance was evaluated according to soil conditions of reclaimed land and paddy field. Field experiments were conducted at two test sites (Fields A: paddy field; and Field B: reclaimed land). The tractor load measurement system was composed of an axle rotation speed sensor, a torque meter, a six-component load cell, GPS, and a DAQ (Data Acquisition System). Soil properties including soil texture, water content, cone index, and electrical conductivity (EC) were measured. Referring to previous researches, the tractor traveling speed was set to B3 (7.05 km/h), which was frequently used in ridge plow tillage. Soil moisture contents were 33.2% and 48.6% in fields A and B, respectively. Cone index was 2.1 times higher in field A than in field B. When working in the reclaimed land, slip ratios were about 10.5% and 33.1% for fields A and B, respectively. The engine load was used almost 100% of all tractors under the two field conditions. Traction powers were 31.9 kW and 24.2 kW for fields A and B, respectively. Tractive efficiencies were 83.3% and 54.4% for fields A and B, respectively. As soil moisture increased by 16.4%, the tractive efficiency was lowered by about 28.9%. Traction performance of tractor was significantly different according to soil conditions of fields A and B. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the traction performance of tractor for smooth operations in all soil conditions including a reclaimed land by reflecting data of this study.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2010

Tractor PTO output and fuel consumption rate under the korean paddy and various paddy operations were measured and analyzed, in which all the measurements were accomplished by the OECD tractor test codes and the collected information will be utilized for defining tractor energy efficiency class and its test methods. Tractor PTO performance tests were conducted under full-load, part-load and various engine RPMs with part-load at the engine laboratory, while the paddy operations were dry land plowing, wet and dry land rotary tilling and wet land preparation under various soils. As a whole, the rated tractor outputs were ranged from 17% to 100% in the various tillage and land preparation operations, however, the loads for the paddy operations of 1,700 to 2,000 rpm were very close to the OECD tractor load distribution thus it would be appropriate to adopt OECD tractor test codes to measure energy consumption efficiency of tractor.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.77-84
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• 2010

In this study, we tried to predict tractor power output, fuel consumption rate and work performance indirectly in order to develop an eco driving system. Firstly, we developed equations which could predict tractor power output and fuel consumption rate using characteristic curves of tractor power output. Secondly, with actual engine rpm determined by initial engine rpm and work load, tractor power output and fuel consumption rate were forecasted. Thirdly, with speed signals of GPS sensor system, it was possible to foresee tractor work performance and fuel consumption rate. Lastly, precision of the eco driving system was evaluated through tractor PTO test, and effects of the eco driving system were investigated in the plowing and rotary tilling operations. Engine rpm, power output, fuel consumption rate, work performance and fuel consumption rate per plot area were displayed in the eco driving system. Predicted tractor power outputs in the full load curve were well coincided with the actual power output of prototype, but small differences, 1 to 6 ㎾, were found in the part load curve. Error of the fuel consumption rate was 0.5 L/h, 4.5%, the greatest, and 1 to 3 L/h at the part load curve. It was shown that 69% and 53% of fuel consumption rates could be reduced in plowing and rotary tilling operations, respectively, when the eco driving system was installed in tractor.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2009

In order to evaluate environmental comfort of tractor cabs, temperature, relative humidity and noise within the cab were taken from 31 tractors during plowing and rotovating operations. The temperature and humidity were evaluated with regard to the comfort zone of KS B ISO 14269-2 and PMV of ISO 7730. The noise was evaluated with regard to the permissible sound level of OSHA for daily exposure of 8 hours. The collected data indicated that thermal environment of the cabs was out of the comfort zone, which meant tractor operators worked under uncomfortable thermal conditions. Difference in the thermal comfort by tractor power and maker, and type of works was not found. However, 25% of the studied tractors showed PMV in a range of -0.5 to +0.5, which indicated their operators worked under the comfort criteria. PMV was improved when the cab was air-conditioned. Levels of measured cab noise were lower than the permissible criteria, and 76.7% of the studied tractors had cab noise ranged from 75 to 85 dBA. There was a tendency that high powered tractors, rotovating operations and locally-made tractors had greater cab noise levels. However, their differences were insignificant.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 2010

This study was conducted to develop an index of fuel consumption to rate agricultural tractors by their fuel efficiencies. The fuel consumption index consisted of two components: basic and operational indexes. The basic index is to consider an average amount of fuel consumed by engine when it transmits 20 and 100% of the rated power. The operational index is to consider the fuel consumed by tractor for typical field operations: plowing, rotavating, and the remains. The equations and procedures to obtain these indexes were proposed. The method and fuel consumption rate to classify tractors into 5 grades were also proposed. The best 15% of the tractor models were rated as the first grade, 20% as the second grade, 30% as the third grade, 20% as the fourth grade, and 15% as the fifth grade in order of fuel efficiency. Using the fuel consumption index, the classification was conducted on 143 tractor models tested at the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering from 2000 to 2007. The proposed 5-grade system of classification using the fuel consumption index could be used to rate the fuel efficiency of 20-100 kW tractor models produced over past 10 years in Korea.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.151-157
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to analyze the factors affecting on fuel consumption of agricultural tractor. According to the statistical analysis, fuel consumption of agricultural tractor was considerably influenced by kind of operation, throttle engine speed and gear steps of tractor but much less by kind of soil. Specific fuel consumption of the tractor in plowing, dry paddy tilling, wet paddy tilling and wet paddy levelling was 0.33~0.36, 0.30~0.45, 0.19~0.34, 0.28~0.39 L/$kW{\cdot}h$, respectively, and $CO_2$ emission was 0.36~0.45, 0.35~0.58, 0.22~0.42, 0.24~0.37 kg/$kW{\cdot}h$, respectively. Specific fuel consumption and $CO_2$ emission increased as throttle engine speed increased but reversely proportional with gear step of tractor, by which one can reduce fuel consumption and $CO_2$ emission with practicing of "Gear up & Throttle Down" technique in paddy operations.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.397-406
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• 2011

In this study, surveys on operation status of the 73 tractors with rated power of over 75 kW from six provinces in Korea were performed to obtain basic data required for development and efficient use of the high-power and high-performance tractors. And types of tractors and implements, operation crops, types of operations, annual operation areas, annual operation days, annual operation hours, operation speeds and widths, and problems and improvements in use were investigated. Most (91.7%) of the tractor surveyed were operated for forage and silage crops such as rice straw, whole barley, rye grass, reed canary grass, sudan grass, and the remains were operated for upland crops such as ginseng, sweet potato, potato, chinese cabbage, radish. Main operations of the tractors were cutting, baling, and wrapping for forage crops, plow tillage, rotary tillage, and manure spreading. About half (47.9%) of the tractors were used exclusively for forage crop harvesting such as forage crop cutting, forage baling, and bale wrapping, 24.5% of the tractors were used exclusively for plow or rotary tillage, and 27.4% of the tractors were used for both forage crop harvesting, and plow or rotary tillage. For the tractors with power ranges of 75~83, 89~94, 98~101, 113, 124 kW, average annual operation areas per tractor for plow tillage, rotary tillage, forage crop harvesting (cutting, baling, wrapping), and manure spreading operations were analyzed as 112.6. 144.8, 158.9. 390.0. 215.6 ha, respectively. and total average annual operation area per tractor was 171.3 ha. Average annual operation days per tractor for those operations were analyzed as 24.1, 28.9, 38.3, 55.4, 33.4, respectively, and total average annual operation days per tractor was 33.6. Average annual operation hours per tractor for them were analyzed as 260.0, 321.6, 408.1, 664.8, 413.8, respectively, and total average annual operation hours per tractor for the all tractors was 377.1. Ranges of operation widths of plow tillage, rotary tillage, forage crop cutting, forage baling, bale wrapping, and manure spreading operations were shown as 1.5~2.6, 2.3~3.0, 1.8~3.2, 1.8~2.0, 1.8~2.3, 3.1~6.6 m, respectively. Ranges of operation speed of plow tillage, rotary tillage, forage crop cutting, forage baling, bale wrapping, and manure spreading were shown as 6~9, 4~11, 9~16, 8~15, 8~17, 12~16 km/h, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.205-217
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• 2020

In this study, a deep learning-based tillage boundary detection method for autonomous tillage by a tractor was developed, which consisted of image cropping, object classification, area segmentation, and boundary detection methods. Full HD (1920 × 1080) images were obtained using a RGB camera installed on the hood of a tractor and were cropped to 112 × 112 size images to generate a dataset for training the classification model. The classification model was constructed based on convolutional neural networks, and the path boundary was detected using a probability map, which was generated by the integration of softmax outputs. The results show that the F1-score of the classification was approximately 0.91, and it had a similar performance as the deep learning-based classification task in the agriculture field. The path boundary was determined with edge detection and the Hough transform, and it was compared to the actual path boundary. The average lateral error was approximately 11.4 cm, and the average angle error was approximately 8.9°. The proposed technique can perform as well as other approaches; however, it only needs low cost memory to execute the process unlike other deep learning-based approaches. It is possible that an autonomous farm robot can be easily developed with this proposed technique using a simple hardware configuration.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.158-165
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• 2014

Purpose: The objective of this paper was to compare test standards regarding the performance and safety of agricultural tractors to identify the differences in test conditions, measurement tolerances, and test procedures. Based on the comparison, some recommendations were proposed for possible revisions or improvements to current tractor test standards. Methods: The test standards and codes of major standards development organizations (SDOs), such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), EC type approval, and the board of actions of the Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratories (NTTL), were selected and analyzed. Comparison of the test standards: The ISO provides references for fuel and lubricants for tractor tests, and the OECD provides additional measurements for calculating fuel consumption characteristics during the power take-off (PTO) tests. The ISO, EC type approval, and the ASABE provide PTO protective device and the safety requirements. During drawbar power tests, seven transmission ratios are selected for fully automatic transmissions, according to the OECD. In case of hydraulic lift tests, ISO 789-2 and OECD Code 2 advise the use of a static lift force, while SAE J283 advises the use of additional dynamic lift capacity tests for a better representation of in-field operations. The OECD, the ISO, and EC type approval determine the seat index point (SIP), whereas the ASABE determines the seat reference point (SRP) for roll-over protective structure (ROPS) tests. Diversified measurement tolerances were among the braking performance test standards. The European Union (EU) has developed daily limits for vibration exposures with adaptations from ISO 2631-1. Electromagnetic compatibility evaluations are emerging of high-efficiency tractors due to the long-term conformance to electromagnetic emissions and interferences. Comparisons of tractor test standards discussed in this paper are expected to provide useful information for tractor manufacturers and standards development personnel to improve the performance and safety test standards of tractors.