Agriculture

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Dr. Ju-Seok Nam

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Guest Editor

Department of Biosystems Engineering, Kangwon National University, 1 Kangwondaehak-gil, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
Interests: agricultural engineering; agricultural ergonomics; agricultural field machinery; digital agriculture; soil–machine systems; terramechanics
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Dr. Yongjin Cho

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Guest Editor

Department of Bioindustrial Machinery Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
Interests: agriculture machinery; precision agriculture; soil and crop sensing; remote monitoring system; VIS–NIR spectroscopy; online soil measurement
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Yeon-Soo Kim

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Guest Editor

Department of Bio-Industrial Machinery Engineering, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Republic of Korea
Interests: agricultural mechanization; off-road machinery system; digital twin modeling; agricultural digitization; soil tillage

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The mechanization of agricultural works has greatly contributed to the improvement of agricultural productivity and a reduction in production costs. Since the beginning of mechanization, various kinds of agricultural machinery related to soil preparation, sowing, harvesting, post-harvesting, etc., have been developed. In addition, customized agricultural machines that are suitable for the cultivation type and soil characteristics of each country and region have been developed. Agricultural machinery, unlike other industrial machinery, targets living organisms and operates on soil; hence, it should be designed in consideration of its interaction with soil. It is possible to optimally design agricultural machinery by understanding both the characteristics of the soil concerned and the characteristics of the mechanical system.

This Special Issue is a natural continuation of our previous Special Issue, “Soil Mechanical Systems and Related Farming Machinery“’, and will focus on research regarding soil–machine systems in agriculture, including design, analysis, experimentation, etc. In addition to soil-related research, agricultural machinery- and automation-related research is also of interest. This also includes off-road environments as well as greenhouse or smart farm applications. Both original research articles and comprehensive reviews are welcome.

Dr. Ju-Seok Nam
Dr. Yongjin Cho
Dr. Yeon-Soo Kim
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

agricultural engineering
agricultural machinery
biosystem engineering
off-road farming
smart farming
soil–machine systems
precision agriculture
soil and crop

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

17 pages, 6902 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analyzing Safety Factors and Predicting Fatigue Life of Weak Points in an Electrically Driven, Multi-Purpose Cultivation Tractor

by In-Seok Hwang, Jeong-Hun Kim, Wan-Tae Im, Hwan-Hong Jeung, Ju-Seok Nam and Chang-Seop Shin

Agriculture 2024, 14(3), 416; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14030416 - 5 Mar 2024

Viewed by 669

Abstract

The advancement of agriculture and a shortage of labor have led to an increased use of agricultural machinery. However, the resulting environmental issues have prompted a shift from internal combustion engines to electric drivetrains. The electric drivetrain includes the installation of batteries, which can lead to decreased energy efficiency and significant loads on the vehicle due to their heavy weight. Consequently, the importance of ensuring the safety of agricultural machinery is being increasingly emphasized. The load on the frame of agricultural machinery is not consistent during off-road driving, and the accumulation of load cycles can lead to the destruction and failure of components. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure a level of safety and to predict the fatigue life. In this study, we estimate the safety factor and predict the fatigue life of weak points in an electrically driven, multi-purpose cultivation tractor based on working conditions (width, soil, and drive). Strain gauges were attached to these weak points to measure the strain, which was then converted to von Mises stress. Fatigue life was predicted using the rainflow counting method and the Palmgren–Miner rule. The results showed that the safety factor measured under various working conditions was greater than 1. The estimated minimum fatigue life was 124,176 years. Considering that the cultivator is used for 29.7 h annually and has a durability lifespan of 5 years, it is expected to be safely usable throughout its service life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil–Machine Systems and Related Farming Machinery)

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