Browse Topic: Agricultural vehicles and equipment

Items (1,174)
Agricultural vehicles operating in rough environments experience increased fatigue damage accumulation, which may decrease machine safety and reliability. Autonomous agricultural machines offer an opportunity to incorporate fatigue damage considerations into path planning. This work investigates whether machine learning can predict fatigue damage to a tractor chassis using light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-based terrain features, vehicle speed, and rotational vehicle state data (e.g., triaxial angle, angular velocity, and angular acceleration). Fatigue damage was estimated using the Rupp filter and the Durability Transfer Concept. Following poor predictive performance of the machine learning models, an exploratory analysis of damage histograms, dominant frequency, and acceleration magnitude was performed. Results indicated that most estimated fatigue damage occurred in the 0–2 Hz band, which coincides with the frequency range of terrain-induced acceleration. On-road driving led to
Govers, Megan EmilyHamilton-Wright, AndrewHassan, MarwanOliver, Michele L.
The integration of Electric Vehicles (EVs) as active grid resources represents a pivotal shift towards decarbonization. However, the implementation of effective Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) services faces technical challenges regarding interoperability, predictive management, and battery health preservation. This work presents a comprehensive system design and research methodology developed within the framework of the FLEXV2X project, aimed at addressing interdependencies within a unified bidirectional charging ecosystem. The proposed scientific framework addresses two complementary timescales. At the device level, the study details the modelling and optimization of bidirectional converters, focusing on control algorithms designed to ensure robust dynamic response and efficiency. Building upon this hardware foundation, the paper describes a system-level optimization strategy. By employing open-source cyber-physical modelling, the architecture simulates complex EV-grid interactions. This
Lutzemberger, GiovanniBarater, DavideCeraolo, MassimoFera, CesareLeaver, IanPasini, Gianluca
Layout optimization is one of the most effective approaches to reduce the power loss induced by turbine wakes. However, the performance of a wind farm is strongly affected by the inflow direction. This paper conducted a sensitivity analysis on a realistic wind farm, Lillgrund Wind Farm, to investigate the sensitivity of inflow direction on the power production of the initial layout and optimal limits. A wake model considering ambient turbulence intensity is adopted together with the wake superposition method to efficiently resolve the flow field in the wind farm. The results indicate that the power production of the initial layout had a significant discrepancy under different inflow directions, and relies on the consistency of inflow direction and layout array directions. The feature of the two main directional sectors is observed from a realistic wind rose. Therefore, two-sector wind roses are adopted in optimization, and the angles of sectors vary among 51 cases. After optimization
Yang, KunDeng, Xiaowei
This study investigates the unsteady aerodynamic response, wake evolution, and vortex dynamics of an ultra-large floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) under coupled motion–wave conditions. A high-fidelity aero–hydrodynamic CFD model is employed for the IEA 22 MW reference turbine. Platform pitch and surge motions are prescribed via sinusoidal functions, and wave conditions are independently introduced by considering two representative sea states (H = 4 m and 7 m) and a no-wave case. Results show that pitch and combined pitch–surge motions significantly amplify unsteady aerodynamic effects, increasing peak power from 81.1 MW (P5S0) to 92.6 MW (P5S5), with periodic negative power output and severe dynamic stall. Under strong motion, waves further raise peak power to 93.4 MW (H7P5S5), indicating a coupled amplification effect. Dynamic stall is mainly triggered by pitch motion, expanding in scope and duration with motion amplitude; wave effects on stall remain limited. Platform motion also
Xie, BinSun, HaiyingChen, Ye
Based on the multi-objective hierarchical optimization solution method, this paper takes both system balance and scheduling economy into account, and constructs a hierarchical collaborative optimization model for the multi-energy complementary system of offshore energy islands. To address the impact of the volatility and randomness of offshore wind farm clusters on the scheduling of energy island systems, the Stochastic Model Predictive Control (SMPC) method is adopted to optimize and solve the scheduling of offshore energy islands. This paper innovatively proposes a scheduling method based on adaptive variable-step stochastic model predictive control. In the rolling optimization process of SMPC, this method tracks the real-time scheduling deviation degree through the deviation reference coefficient and changes the rolling optimization step size. It solves the problems of insufficient scheduling accuracy and being trapped in local optimization in the rolling optimization process of the
Huang, HaochengZhang, JinqiZhou, FengfengYan, QihuiXu, ChangYin, Gaojun
As the trend toward larger wind turbines continues, the increasing length of blades imposes higher demands on their structural properties. And in actual engineering, wind turbine blade accidents occur frequently. Consequently, ultra-long flexible blades at the hundred-meter scale typically employ composite materials. However, due to the high cost of composites, it is necessary to minimize blade weight to control costs. This study utilizes the MATLAB simulation platform combined with pattern search algorithms to optimize the composite layup of large wind turbine blade structures. The structural properties of the optimized design are then compared and analyzed against those of the reference structure. Simultaneously investigate the impact of different loads on the optimization results. The results demonstrate that the pattern search algorithm can optimize blade layup thickness, spar chordwise position, and spar width, yielding a new blade structure with improved performance. During
Cao, GuangchuanGuo, XiaMeng, Hang
This paper presents the design of a novel intelligent monitoring platform for low and medium altitudes, aiming to offer a new solution for the development of intelligent equipment operating in this airspace. Current monitoring tasks are primarily performed by fixed-wing and multi-rotor UAVs, but these platforms face significant technical bottlenecks in flight endurance and monitoring precision. This research aims to address these deficiencies. The platform is based on a small-scale unmanned airship featuring a semi-rigid, hybrid lift-body structure. Improvements were made upon the traditional ellipsoidal hull; the hull profile was optimized using a geometric superposition method, introducing an aerodynamic camber line with a maximum camber (m) of 4% to enhance aerodynamic performance at small angles of attack. In terms of its energy system, the platform is powered by a purely electric energy system composed of solar panels and batteries; solar energy is used during the day, while
Song, ZiangGao, WenxuanCao, XiaochuanZheng, XingZhao, Chong
This article focuses on the problem of high labor cost, low processing efficiency and poor automation of the existing equipment in the postharvest processing of Chinese cabbage. It will design and produce an automated Chinese cabbage processing method called Smart Fresh Pack. Root removal, leaf removal, washing, loading, weighing, packaging and labeling functions were integrated, and smart dexterous intelligence was applied to core concepts and this can be used in the bulk production scenario of supermarkets in the city and countryside Compared with traditional assembly line equipment, obvious advantages in terms of structure, function and processing capacity: Key innovations include: Low-pressure air jet cleaning replaces water washing, which prevents a second contamination and weighing error due to surface moisture; pneumatic gripper and multi-DOF robotic arms combine to package and dynamically weigh simultaneously, streamlining these tasks; machine vision relies on an SSD
Chen, YuhuiZhang, YixuanRuan, JiaZhu, HuayunHe, LianzhengZhao, Ping
This document applies to off-road forestry work machines defined in SAE J1116 or ISO 6814.
MTC4, Forestry and Logging Equipment
This SAE Standard is intended to describe the basic types of felling heads, including those with bunching capabilities, that are attachments to a self-propelled machine. Only the major components that are necessary to describe the functions of the felling head, and to apply the principles of the standard are included. Illustrations used are not intended to include all existing felling heads or to describe any particular manufacturer’s variation.
MTC4, Forestry and Logging Equipment
TOC
Tobolski, Sue
Agriculture sector is undergoing a phenomenal transformation, driven by the legislative requirements mandated by countries worldwide to tackle global warming through stringent global emission and on the need to improve operator safety, productivity, particularly on sloped and uneven terrains. Conventional tractors with internal combustion engines (ICEs) have been in use for decades but they often have issues over coordinated control on inclined terrains, especially during load transitions, start-stops, and loader operations. Due to which operators have a critical task of maintaining vehicle stability, controlling rollback on gradients — leading to compromised efficiency, safety risks, and increased fatigue. Global Emission Norms are getting stringent and the justification to end user on the Incremental value proposition is getting difficult to make the products appealing. To address these multifaceted challenges, this paper presents the architecture and functional strategy to increase
M, RojerNatarajan, SaravananMuniappan, Balakrishnan
Off-road vehicles are typically powered by diesel engines, sized to cover the highest peak loads in their dutycycles. Such applications can be designed with downsized engines, using hybridization to supplement engine power with electrical power for short periods. However, many applications are low-volume and specialized, making it impractical to deploy heavy engineering resources to optimize each one. For this reason, manufacturers tend to produce maid-of-all-work vehicles to cover every situation. This paper demonstrates the benefits of custom hybridization for specialist applications, and addresses the lack of accessible software tools for evaluating such opportunities. Analysis is applied with a fast, low-cost, Concept-based software tool named “ePOP Concept”, suited to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who seek to provide custom low-volume vehicles. It allows many different powertrain architectures to be evaluated rapidly at the product planning stage, and can be quickly set
De Salis, RupertFons, Daniel
Accurate identification of Productive and Non-Productive States or tractor duty cycles—comprising working, idle, and transport states—is critical for performance analysis, fuel optimization, and emissions modeling in agriculture machinery and fleet monitoring. This study explores the application of integrated unsupervised machine learning (ML) techniques to classify duty cycles using GPS-derived parameters such as speed, location variance, and temporal patterns. Unlike supervised approaches, the proposed method does not rely on several labeled engine and vehicle parameters, making it scalable and adaptable across diverse operational contexts. Clustering algorithm DBSCAN (Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise) in integration with hybrid rule-based and a road feature is employed to segment GPS data into distinct behavioral states. Feature engineering focuses on extracting motion signatures and spatial-temporal features that correlate with operational modes
Maharana, Devi prasadGangsar, PurushottamDharmadhikari, NitinPandey, Anand Kumar
Global emission norms are getting very strict due to combat the harmful pollutants from internal combustion engine. Hence internal combustion engine (ICE)-based agricultural tractors need to introduce complex after-treatment systems and fuel optimization to provide same or higher value to farmers as cost of these systems drive the overall cost of the product. Engineers around the world are building Electric vehicles to combat the problem and has range issues due to design constraints & Hybrid tractors have emerged as a promising intermittent solution. It helps in combining the advantages of respective ICE and electrification solutions while reducing overall vehicle emissions and enhances operational flexibility. This paper presents a modular thermal modes system developed for a hybrid electric tractor platform where a downsized diesel engine operates at optimal efficiency DC generator used to charge the battery & DC converter is used to charge the auxiliary battery. Battery which is
K, SunilD, MariNatarajan, SaravananKumawat, Deepakrojamanikandan, ArumughamK, MalaV, SridharanMuniappan, BalakrishnanMakana, Mohan
In agricultural tractors, braking actuation is usually done through control linkages consisting of a series of connected four-bar linkages with multiple pivots from the pedal to the brake pads. The quality of force transmission is critical as it directly affects the braking performance of the tractor. Forces measured at the end of the control linkage or brake pull rod often show deviation from theoretical values based on mechanical advantage calculations. This is due to various factors such as linkage transmission angle, elasticity, and friction losses in joints. A standardized simulation method needs to be developed and validated to predict the losses in the control linkage system. In this paper, the author proposes a simulation approach using multi-body dynamics, which includes contribution factors such as transmission angle, linkage elasticity, and friction in joints. MBS models for brake linkage systems for three different tractors were developed with flex bodies using ADAMS/View
Subbaiyan, Prasanna BalajiNizampatnam, BalaramakrishnaRedkar, DineshArun, GK, VinothR, SengottuPaulraj, Lemuel
Gear noise is a common challenge that all gear manufacturers must contend with. In tractors, while it is often sufficiently low in intensity to not pose a significant issue, there are instances where gear whine may occur which is noticeable. In such cases, identifying the source and effectively addressing the problem can prove to be particularly difficult. This paper addresses the root cause analysis carried out for the evaluation of factors influencing whine noise behavior of Spiral bevel gear pair (SO2) in a tractor transmission system. Numerous publications have been published on gear noise of spiral bevel gear pair, too many to list here. However, once the gearbox assembled into the transmission, such models are of limited practical value. The work explained in this paper is a typical example offers avenues in correcting the issue using more limited means.
P, BharathP, PriyadarshanJanarthanan, Devakumara RajaChavan, Amit
Agricultural operations in hilly, uneven & slopy terrains demands high levels of operator focus, effort and skill. However, todays farming ecosystem across the globe is affected by 2 major scenarios: the aging workforce in the agricultural sector and the ever-growing problem of distraction due to mobile device and social media use. These issues compromise safety during operations such as start stop maneuvers, parking on slopes, and maneuvering in confined & narrow areas. Stringent emission norms are also being mandated across developed and developing countries as a measure to reduce Global Greenhouse house gas emissions. These measures are indeed necessary for sustainability but has increased overall tractor purchase and operating costs without improving safety & operator comfort. There has been a trend seen around the world in terms of poor sales post Emission implementation. Registration of Older tractors without these stringent emission norms were also witnessed in Developed
M, RojerT, GanesanP, VelusamyNatarajan, SaravananV, Mathankumartripathi, ShankarNarni, KiranHaldorai, RajanDevakumar, Kiran
Conventional ICE (internal Combustion Engine) tractors have single mechanical drivetrain used for propulsion of wheels, hydraulic and PTO drive and are designed to deliver power across range of operational zones leading to power wastage, reducing efficiency. This happens during Low Power Mode or low load operation. Extensive validation in Mahindra tractors reveal that such operations contribute to overall loss of 18–20%. Out of all factors, losses due to hydraulics is predominant and is close to 7–10 % of total power loss. In contrast, Hybrid tractors with Engine for propulsion of wheels alone and a dedicated Electric motor for PTO, Hydraulic functions. We have designed the system to offer enhanced operational flexibility through three distinct modes: Low Power Mode, Lift Assist Mode, and Implement Drive Mode. These modes ensure delivery of optimised performance while reducing the hydraulic losses & increased efficiency of the overall system. Low Power mode - powers essential vehicle
Natarajan, SaravananP, ShanmugavelJoshi, PriyankaSundaram, PavithraSameer, KamatSingh, RubyArvind, KumaranT, Senthil Kumar
Any agricultural operation (such as cultivation, rotavation, ploughing, and harrowing) includes both productive and non-productive activities (like transportation, stops, and idling) in the field. Non-productive work can mislead the actual load profile, fuel consumption, and emissions. In this project, a machine learning-based methodology has been developed to differentiate between effective operations and non-productive activities, utilizing data collected in the field from data loggers installed on the machinery. Measurements were conducted on various machines across the country in all major applications to minimize the influence of any individual sample deviation and to account for variability in customer operating practices. Few critical parameters such as Engine Speed, Exhaust Gas Temperature, Actual Engine Percentage Torque, GPS Speed etc.) were selected after screening and analyzing more than 100 CAN and GPS parameters. The critical parameters were subsequently integrated with
Maharana, Devi prasadGangsar, Purushottamgokhale, VarunPandey, Anand Kumar
The Indian farmers choice of agriculture tractor brand is driven by the ease of operation and fuel efficiency. However, the customer preference for operator comfort is driving many tractor OEMs for improvement in noise and vibration at the operator location. Also, the compliance to CMVR regulation for noise at operator ear location and vibration at operator touch point location are mandatory for all the tractors in India. NVH refinement development of the tractor plays a critical role in achieving the regulated noise level and improved tactile vibration In presented work, the airborne sources such as exhaust tail pipe, intake snorkel and cooling fan are quantified by at tractor level through elimination method. The detailed engine level testing in engine noise test cell (hemi anechoic chamber) is carried out to estimate the contribution of engine components to overall noise. The outcome of Noise source identification (NSI) has revealed silencer, timing gear cover and oil sump to be
Gaikwad, Atul AnnasahebHarishchandra Walke, NageshYadav, Prasad SBankar, Harshal
In recent years, virtual validation using finite element analysis (FEA) has become a key step in designing an agricultural tractor roll over protective structure (ROPS). With the advancement of computation power and ability of finite element solver to handle bigger models; a higher fidelity model can be built to improve virtual validation accuracy. More & more advanced material model can be used to improve accuracy of the results. Along with ROPS, its mounting chassis and mounting bolts can also be validated. Virtual validation at the design phase not only saves time of new product development cycle; but also optimizes the weight & cost of the design. In this paper, majorly two material model has been used to analyze a real-life tractor ROPS, its mounting chassis and bolts. For the ROPS, conventional isotropic hardening model has been used using bilinear and piece-wise multilinear stress-strain curve. Additionally kinematic hardening model has been used using advanced multi-component
Pandey, Manoj KumarKumar, ArunRedkar, DineshThirugnanam, VivekanndanMagendran, GMANI, SURESH
Noise quality at idle condition is an important factor which influences customer comfort. Modern diesel engines with stringent emission norms together with fuel economy requirements pose challenges to noise control. Common rail engine technology has advantage of precise fuel delivery and combustion control which needs optimization to achieve the conflicting requirements of noise, emission and fuel efficiency. Engine noise at low idle condition is dominated by combustion noise which depends on rate of pressure rise inside the cylinder during combustion. The important parameters which influence cylinder pressure rise are fuel injection timing, pilot injection quantity and its separation, rail pressure and EGR valve position. The study on effect of these parameters at varying levels demand large no of experiments. Taguchi design of experiments is a statistical technique which can be used to optimize these parameters by significantly reducing no of experiments needed to achieve the desired
P, PriyadarshanChavan, AmitA, KannanswamyPatil, SandeepChaudhari, Vishal V
Controlling the source vibrations in internal combustion engines is a crucial approach to minimizing the vibration levels experienced by the driver. The driver's subjective perception of vibration is primarily dictated by the vehicle's low-frequency response (<100 Hz). In an IC engine used in agricultural tractor applications, the primary sources of vibration include (a) 1st order inertial force, (b) couples generated by rotating and reciprocating components such as the piston assembly, connecting rod, and crankshaft, and (c) in-cylinder combustion. In this study, an order ranking analysis was conducted on a single-cylinder, air-cooled, naturally aspirated tractor engine within the driver’s operating range to identify the dominant contributors to source vibrations. The 1st order inertial force was observed to be the dominant contributor to the engine's vibration levels. Subsequently, an attempt was made to mitigate the unbalanced forces by implementing counterweight-based balancing
Bhuntel, AjayRajput, SurendraRawat, Ashish
In last two decades, Farm customer expectation on cabin comfort has been increased multifold. To provide the best-in-class customer experience in terms of comfort without adding cost and weight is bigger challenge for all NVH Engineers. It is evident from literature survey that cabin tractors with better comfort is well accepted by customers in US and European Market. Apart from engine excitation, customer has become more sensitive to customer-actuated-accessory noises due to overall reduction in cabin noise in last 2 decades. This paper presents the study conducted on HVAC blower noise in 30HP cabin tractor. Tactile vibrations and cabin noise is not acceptable when AC is switched on due to low frequency modulating nature in frequency range of ~65Hz and 130Hz. The investigation is carried out systematically considering each component of Source-Path-Receiver model. HVAC blower unit as source is diagnosed in detail to understand root cause. Strong dominance of first order of blower been
K, SomasundaramChavan, Amit
This paper presents the development and evaluation of a passive regeneration Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) system for a 4-cylinder, 3.18-liter naturally aspirated agricultural tractor engine based on the mDI engine family. The primary objective is to significantly reduce particulate matter (PM) emissions while maintaining optimal engine performance and fuel economy. The passive regeneration DPF system leverages the engine's operating conditions to generate sufficient heat for the oxidation of trapped particulate matter, eliminating the need for active regeneration techniques. The paper details the design process, including the selection of DPF material, filter geometry, and integration into the exhaust system. Rigorous experimental testing was conducted to assess the performance of the DPF system under various engine load and speed conditions. Results demonstrate substantial reductions in PM emissions without compromising engine power, torque, or specific fuel consumption. This
Maddali, Varun SumanJidigonti, ShashankKannan, SRamesh, Natrajan
Emission Regulations for NRMM in India have evolved significantly over past two decades. India has progressively adopted stricter standards to align with best practices carried out globally for curbing air pollution. The latest regulations have introduced stringent caps on nitrogen oxides (NOx), and other emission pollutants, ensuring compliance with environmental sustainability goals. Future legislative frameworks are expected to impose even more rigorous emission limits, while incorporating real-world emission monitoring. This will require powertrain manufacturers to integrate advanced after-treatment systems and adopt cleaner combustion technologies to meet compliance standards. To validate compliance with these stringent limits, rigorous testing methodologies are employed. Portable Emission Measurement Systems (PEMS) have become a crucial tool for real-world emission assessment. PEMS technology allows for on-road and field testing of NRMM under actual operating conditions
Rastogi, AadharGarg, VarunRagot, Nicolas
Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV) are fostered through initiatives like SOAFEE and Eclipse SDV promoting the use of cloud-native approaches, distributed workloads and service-oriented architectures (SOA). This means that in these systems each vehicle is connected to the cloud and functions are executed both inside the vehicle and in the cloud. So far, there are no established solutions for monitoring and diagnosing SDVs. In designing these solutions, the cost-sensitive nature of every component inside a vehicle must be considered since it makes it unlikely that significant resources will be provided just for diagnostics. Therefore, conventional data centre monitoring approaches that usually rely on transferring large amounts of data to dedicated servers are not directly applicable in this scenario. To illustrate the challenges in providing new solutions for diagnosing and monitoring SDVs, a SOA that has been defined and studied in research projects is introduced. In this architecture
Böhlen, BorisFischer, Diana
One of agricultural tractors most important aspects is operator comfort. In addition to working long hours, tractor operators may be at risk for health problems due to vibrations and mechanical shocks. The tactile vibrations of a tractor are a major consideration when choosing one for agricultural use. This project's mandate includes a study of tractor vibration control problems. It is essential to investigate the governing system in order to determine the cause of the problem. Evaluating the vibrations transmitted via the tractor and using the design of experiments (DOE) approach to lessen vibrations on particular tactile regions were the study's goals. There are several measures currently under investigation which can be used to reduce the vibrations caused by resonance in this paper, these include reducing the natural frequency so as to be able to avoid resonance with the second order engine frequency and the damping coefficient; this will ensure the amplitude of vibration at
Baviskar, Shreyasdhobale, VishwajeetBhangare, AmitKunde, SagarWagh, Sachin
Customers in off-highway industry are increasingly seeking high-performance capabilities for their tractors due to increasing penetration of mechanisation and labour scarcity. One effective solution to achieve enhanced performance is turbocharging of engines, while meeting emission and highly dynamic transient response of tractor field applications. The process of selecting and validating a suitable turbocharger for tractor field application suitability is significantly time and resources consuming activity due to extensive testbed and field trials. This study focuses on the selection of turbocharger for tractor engines through analytical calculations to freeze key parameters like lambda, boost pressure ratio & temperature within boundaries of exhaust temperature and turbo efficiency maps to deliver best field transient performance and fuel consumption. The selected parameters are further validated under real-world transient operating conditions, involving tractors and their implements
Kumar, Harish KumarRawat, SaurabhDogra, DaljitSinghSingh, SachleenSingh, Amarinder
This study investigates the impact of adding compressed natural gas (CNG) to diesel on the performance of a compression ignition engine. In diesel dual-fuel systems, CNG is used to replace part of the energy originally supplied by diesel. The objective is to evaluate the performance of an Agrale BX6110 agricultural tractor engine operating in dual-fuel mode, with simple adaptations that allow it to function in its original mode as well, ensuring easy reversibility. Additionally, CNG can represent a cost-effective and environmentally advantageous alternative for farmers, significantly reducing their operational costs. Tests were conducted with four different CNG injection cases and three diesel injection cases, using an AW Dynamometer NEB 200 test bench. The maximum diesel substitution by CNG was 45.20%. In dual-fuel mode, the engine achieved maximum torque and power values of 665 N·m and 37.3 kW, respectively, representing a 20.45% loss compared to diesel-only operation. A reduction of
Oliveira, LucasAlvarez, Carlos Eduardo CastillaCesar, Felipe
Agrícola Cana Caiana and Grunner have developed an innovative vehicle for sugarcane harvesting, focused on reducing fuel consumption. This optimization is vital and relevant for similar operations in the largest global producers: Brazil (724 mi t - 37%), India (439 mi t - 22%), China (103 mi t - 5.3%), Thailand (92 mi t - 4.7%), Pakistan (88 mi t - 4.5%), Mexico (55 mi t - 2.8%), Colombia (35 mi t - 1.8%), Indonesia (32 mi t - 1.6%), USA (31 mi t - 1.6%), and Australia (28 mi t - 1.4%). In Brazil, São Paulo leads with 383.4 mi t (54.1% of the 23/24 harvest), followed by Minas Gerais (81.3 mi t). This innovative agricultural machinery, a result of the owners' experience, has already sold over a thousand units, proving its impact on the efficiency of the sugar-alcohol sector. The Belei family's expertise generated this solution that optimizes resources and increases harvesting productivity, with the potential to advance sustainability and profitability globally, driving agricultural
Ferreira, Antonio Eustáquio Sirolli
The deployment of autonomous trucks in off-road environments poses significant engineering challenges due to terrain variability and dynamic operating conditions. While recent advancements in perception, planning, and control architectures have improved vehicle autonomy, experimental validations comparing autonomous and manual control particularly regarding propulsion efficiency remain limited. This study addresses this gap by conducting structured field experiments to evaluate the performance of a heavy-duty truck operating in autonomous and manual modes. Tests were performed on a dedicated proving ground using a multi-sensor autonomous system. Key performance indicators included vehicle speed stability, engine speed regulation, and fuel consumption. The results show that autonomous driving achieved a 4.5% reduction in fuel consumption compared to manual operation. This gain is attributed to the system’s ability to maintain lower speed variance and more consistent engine behavior
Paula Silva, CiriloYoshioka, Leopoldo RidekiKitani, Edson CaoruAndré, Fatec SantoSilva, Nouriandres Liborio
Automating harvesters started out as a necessary solution to a severe labor shortage in 1990, Trebro Manufacturing states on its website. The Billings, Montana-based manufacturer has been producing turf harvesting machines since 1999, and its automated sod harvesters and entire harvesting process feature self-driving, automated-control functions. The company's tag line, “The Future of Turf Harvesting,” refers to its position of being the first in the industry to offer automated turf harvesting products. Trebro's AutoStack 3 harvester is an automated combine for turf that steers itself while an operator monitors and performs quality control actions when needed. The harvesting process combines several automated control processes.
As countries race to expand renewable energy infrastructure, balancing clean electricity production with land use for food remains a pressing challenge — especially in Japan, where mountainous terrain limits space. A recent study led by researchers from the University of Tokyo explores a promising solution: integrating solar panels with traditional rice farming in a practice known as agrivoltaics.
This study aims to assess how alternative electrified powertrain technologies affect energy use for agricultural tractors in the Autonomie simulation tool. The goal of this study is also to assess the feasibility and performance of hydrogen internal combustion engines as a suitable alternative for the agricultural tractor powertrains. The energy consumption and efficiencies of alternative powertrains and fuel options are analyzed and compared across a variety of duty cycles using modeling and simulation methodologies. The considered alternative powertrains are series, parallel, power-split hybrid electric, fuel cell, and battery electric powertrains. The alternative fuel and powertrains are evaluated for their energy efficiency as well as their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve overall tractor performance in a variety of agricultural applications. Following a methodology developed by Argonne National Laboratory and Aramco Americas, the study applied prospective
Kim, NamdooYan, ZimingVijayagopal, RamJung, JaekwangHe, Xin
(TC)The paper presents a designed and evaluated optimal traction control (TC) strategy for unmanned agriculture vehicle, where onboard sensors acquire various real-time information about wheel speed, load sharing, and terrain characteristics to achieve the precise control of the powertrain by establishing an optimal control command; moreover, the developed AMT-adaptive SMC combines the AMT adaptive control algorithm and the SMC to implement the dynamic gear shifting, torque output, and driving mode switching to obtain an optimal power distribution according to different speed demand and harvest load. Based on the establishment of models of the autonomous agriculture vehicle and corresponding tire model, a MATLAB/Simulink method based on dynamic simulation is adopted to simulate the unmanned agricultural vehicle traversing different terrains conditions. The results from comparison show that the energy saving reaches 19.0%, rising from 2. 1 kWh/km to 1. 7 kWh/km, an increase in
Feng, ZhenghaoLu, YunfanGao, DuanAn, YiZhou, Chuanbo
The rapid evolution of autonomy in Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs)—spanning agriculture, mining, and construction—demands robust cybersecurity strategies. Sensor-control systems, the cognitive core of autonomous OHVs, operate in harsh, connectivity-limited environments. This paper presents a structured approach to applying threat modeling to these architectures, ensuring secure-by-design systems that uphold safety, resilience, and operational integrity.
Kotal, Amit
To provide growing needs of food, clothing and infrastructure for growing population of the world, off-highway vehicles such as those in construction, agriculture and commercial landscaping are moving towards electrification for enhanced precision, productivity, efficiency and sustainability. It has also paved a way to adopt autonomy of these vehicles to address challenges like skilled labor shortage for timely and efficient execution. Despite the tremendous advantages of electrification, be it through completely replacing engines in vehicles or efficiency improvements using hybrid architecture for powertrain and auxiliary power demands, safety remains a significant challenge and critical requirement for off-highway electric vehicles. This paper explains the concept and importance of functional safety in electric off-highway vehicles, and shows how different standards like ISO 26262, ISO 25119, ISO 13849 can be utilized to achieve state of the art in functional safety for different off
Mujumdar, Chaitanya GajananBachhav, KiranDeshpande, Chinmay
Recent advancements in energy efficient wireless communication protocols and low powered digital sensor technologies have led to the development of wireless sensor network (WSN) applications in diverse industries. These WSNs are generally designed using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), ZigBee and Wi-Fi communication protocol depending on the range and reliability requirements of the application. Designing these WSN applications also depends on the following factors. First, the environment under which devices operate varies with the industries and products they are employed in. Second, the energy availability for these devices is limited so higher signal strength for transmission and retransmission reduces the lifetime of these nodes significantly and finally, the size of networks is increasing hence scheduling and routing of messages becomes critical as well. These factors make simulation for these applications essential for evaluating the performance of WSNs before physical deployment of
Periwal, GarvitKoparde, PrashantSewalkar, Swarupanand
Off-highway vehicles (OHVs) are essential in heavy-duty industries like mining, agriculture, and construction, as equipment availability and efficiency directly affect productivity. In these harsh settings, conventional maintenance plans relying on set intervals frequently result in either early component replacements or unexpected breakdowns. This document presents a Connected Aftermarket Services Platform (CASP) that utilizes real-time data analysis, predictive maintenance techniques, and unified e-commerce functionalities to evolve OHV fleet management into a proactive and smart operation. The suggested system integrates IoT-enabled telematics, cloud-based oversight, and AI-powered diagnostics to gather and assess machine health indicators such as engine load, vibration, oil pressure, and usage trends. Models for predictive maintenance utilize both historical and real-time data to produce advance notifications for component failures and maintenance requirements. Fleet managers get
Vashisht, Shruti
Off-highway vehicles (OHVs) in sectors such as mining, construction, and agriculture contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ). Despite the growth of alternative fuels and electrification, diesel engines remain dominant due to their superior torque, reliability, and adaptability in harsh environments. This paper introduces a novel onboard exhaust capture and carbon sequestration system tailored for diesel-powered OHVs. The system integrates nano-porous filters, solid-state CO₂ adsorbents, and a modular storage unit to selectively capture CO₂ and NOₓ from exhaust gases in real time. Captured CO₂ is then compressed for onboard storage and potential downstream utilization—such as fuel synthesis, carbonation processes, or industrial sequestration. Key innovations include: A dual-function capture mechanism targeting both CO₂ and NOₓ Lightweight thermal-regenerative adsorption materials Integration with
Vashisht, Shruti
An agricultural tractor comprises a tightly packed underhood compartment, which poses distinct challenges in managing airflow through its heat exchangers. The intricate design results in uneven airflow patterns, as the fan-driven system draws air from the front, top, and side openings. This work presents a methodology to measure the cooling airflow volume in the tractor and establishing a correlation between test airflow and CFD simulated airflow values. A handheld anemometer and 3x3 matrix type anemometer used for airflow measurement. Measurements were taken at front and back of heat exchanger. It was concluded that, measuring airflow through the heat exchanger with a matrix-type anemometer positioned behind it can enhance the correlation with CFD results to 84%.
A, BoopalshanmugamGanesan, ThanigaivelReddy, LakkuSateesh, TadiGopinathan, Nagarajan
To provide needs of food, clothing and infrastructure for growing population of the world, off-highway vehicles such as those in construction, agriculture and commercial landscaping are moving towards electrification for enhanced precision, productivity, efficiency and sustainability. It has also paved way to adopt autonomy of these vehicles to address challenges like skilled labour shortage for timely and efficient execution. There are many challenges and opportunities of electrification in off-highway domain, be it through completely replacing engine in vehicles or efficiency improvements using hybrid architecture for powertrain and auxiliary power demands, electrification being key enabler precision and speed of the complex operations, automation of complex operation. This paper explains the need of electrification in electric off-highway vehicles and shows how the electrification solves the current challenges faced by off-highway heroes like farmers, construction site owners and
Deshpande, Chinmay VasudevMujumdar, ChaitanyaBachhav, Kiran
The evolution of Autonomous off-highway vehicles (OHVs) has transformed mining, construction, and agriculture industries by significantly improving efficiency and safety. These vehicles operate in high dust, uneven terrain, and potential communication failures, where safety is challenged. To guarantee vehicle safety in such situations, a robust architecture that combines AI-driven perception, fail-safe mechanisms, and conformance to many ISO standards is required. In unstructured environments, AI-driven perception, decision-making, and fail-safe mechanisms are not fully addressed by traditional safety standards like ISO26262 (road vehicles), ISO19014 (earth-moving machinery and it is replacing withdrawn ISO 15998), ISO12100 (Safety of machinery) and ISO25119 (agriculture), ISO 18497 (safety of highly automated agricultural machinery), and ISO/CD 24882 (cybersecurity for machinery).These standards mainly concentrate on the reliability of mechanical and electric/electronic systems
Muthusamy, Sugantha
Transmission tuning involves adjusting parameters within a vehicle's transmission control unit (TCU) or transmission control module (TCM) to optimize performance, efficiency, and driving experience. Transmission tuning is beneficial for optimizing performance, improving fuel efficiency, smoother shifting and enhancing drivability particularly when a vehicle's power output is increased or for specific driving conditions. Especially in offroad and agricultural machines, transmission tuning is vital to significantly improve vehicle performance during different operations. The process of transmission tuning is quite time consuming as multiple tuning iterations are required on the actual vehicle. A significant reduction in tuning time can be achieved using a simulation environment, which can mimic the actual vehicle dynamics and the real time vehicle behavior. In this paper, tuning during the forward and reverse motion of the tractor is described. A two-level PI control-based shift strategy
Varghese, Nithin
In the electrical machines, detrimental effects resulted often due to the overheating, such as insulation material degradation, demagnetization of the magnet and increased Joule losses which result in decreased lifetime, and reduced efficiency of the motor. Hence, by effective cooling methods, it is vital to optimize the reliability and performance of the electric motors and to reduce the maintenance and operating costs. This study brings the analysis capability of CFD for the air-cooling of an Electric-Motor (E-Motor) powering on Deere Equipment's. With the aggressive focus on electrification in agriculture domain and based on industry needs of tackling rising global warming, there is an increasing need of CFD modeling to perform virtual simulations of the E-Motors to determine the viability of the designs and their performance capabilities. The thermal predictions are extremely vital as they have tremendous impact on the design, spacing and sizes of these motors.
Singh, BhuvaneshwarTirumala, BhaskarBadgujar, SwapnilHK, Shashikiran
Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs) — including mining trucks, construction machinery, and agricultural equipment — contribute significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and local air pollutants due to their dependence on fossil diesel. Achieving sustainable development goals in off-highway sectors requires transitioning toward alternate fuels that can reduce CO₂, NOₓ, and particulate matter (PM) emissions while maintaining performance and reliability. This paper comprehensively evaluates alternate fuels such as biodiesel, renewable diesel, compressed and liquefied natural gas (CNG/LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), hydrogen, and alcohol-based blends. Using insights from Service Bulletins, fuel standards, and the Worldwide Fuel Charter, it discusses fuel properties, engine compatibility, operational challenges, sustainability impacts, economic feasibility, safety considerations, and regulatory aspects. Case studies of alternate fuel deployment in OHVs illustrate practical challenges and
Mulla, TosifThakur, AnilTripathi, Ashish
Operating tractors on inclined & uneven terrains for prolonged operations presents safety and ergonomic challenges. Applications such as shuttle operations, loader use, or long-duration implement usage prove to be highly critical based on field observations across Mahindra tractor platforms and it requires skill & experience for maneuvering at ease across usage. We identified the need to offload these repeatable tasks from the operator to improve control & offer comfort. This paper explains the role of Advanced drive assistance features developed for Mahindra tractors suited for all prime mover types – ICE, Alternate Fuels including electric. These features include Hill Hold, Electronic parking brake, Cruise control & Creep mode. Each feature is designed to offload frequent manual tasks from the operator and ensure smoother, safer operation. Hill hold and electronic parking brake work in tandem to offer unparalleled safety by eliminating the fear of tractor roll back in uneven terrain
M, RojerSundaram, PavithraNatarajan, SaravananDevakumar, KiranMuniappan, Balakrishnan
Agricultural tractors require self-cleaning and cooling technology, especially in hot and dusty environments. This study introduces a novel reversible fan system designed which is incorporating a manually operated lever-type connection mechanism as an alternative to conventional pneumatic systems. Traditional reversible fans often rely on pneumatic actuators for blade rotation control, which can introduce complexity, maintenance challenges, and energy inefficiency. The proposed design replaces pneumatic components with a mechanically optimized lever linkage system, enabling users to manually reverse the fan’s airflow direction with minimal effort. This innovation enhances operational simplicity, reduces dependency on compressed air systems, and low costs as compared to conventional type reversible fan. The lever mechanism, engineered for ergonomic usability, ensures rapid switching between sucker and pusher modes, optimizing the fan’s utility in applications such as dust removal
Debbarma, RespectParwal, MahendraBaghel, Anand
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