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Cranfield University

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Abstract<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

The importance of undercarriage design with respect to its effect on soil density changes<br />

grows with the size of harvest machinery. Therefore this study elucidates the mechanics of<br />

soil displacement caused by different undercarriage systems of combine harvesters on soil.<br />

The soil displacement caused by different undercarriage systems at maximum working<br />

weight was measured by embedding tracers into the soil in both the soil bin laboratory and<br />

the field studies. The effects of different tyres, tracks, and whole undercarriage systems on<br />

soil density increase were significant. The results from whole machine systems were vali-<br />

dated with field experiments using fish-hooks for measuring displacement on a sandy loam<br />

and a clay soil. The draught force of a tine loosening the soil after the passage of whole<br />

machines was also investigated.<br />

With an increase in speed, soil density increase was reduced. The implement tyre evalua-<br />

tion emphasized the importance of tyre width, diameter, and inflation pressure on soil den-<br />

sity increase. The evaluation of whole machine systems showed that the influence of rear<br />

tyre size on additional soil density increase is larger for wheeled than for tracked undercar-<br />

riage systems. The strong layer at the surface from a track is able to carry the rear tyre<br />

without further compaction of the soil below leading to an overall soil displacement similar<br />

to a wheeled machine of 1/3 of the weight. The evaluation of different track systems em-<br />

phasized the effect of the number of rollers on soil physical parameters. Variations in a<br />

high belt tension range showed only small effects.<br />

A novel approach was developed determining virgin compression line parameters in-situ<br />

from contact pressure, rut and working depth enabling an easy adjustment of a model to<br />

given soil conditions and a successful prediction of soil displacement for tyres. The in-situ<br />

approach can be used for tracks, but a different VCL results. The in-situ VCL was vali-<br />

dated with small scale plate sinkage tests and compared to results from triaxial cell testing.<br />

Results from triaxial tests showed that the VCL depends on the relation of major and minor<br />

principel stresses. Ancillary experiments were carried out to shed light on longitudinal soil<br />

movement and the influence of lugs and pressure history on soil displacement. In addition<br />

a new heuristic model involving load per perimeter length was tested and the “punching<br />

failure” of soil observed justified with theories from literature.<br />

Ph.D. Thesis Dirk Ansorge (2007)<br />

I

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