https://doi.org/10.4081/jae.2020.1031

Tractive performance of Trelleborg PneuTrac tyres

Vol. 51 No. 2 (2020)
Submitted: 13 November 2019
Accepted: 2 April 2020
Published: 18 June 2020
Trelleborg PneuTrac, radial tyres, drawbar pull, power delivery efficiency, traction.
Abstract Views: 7332
PDF: 660
HTML: 88
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

Michele Mattetti
michele.mattetti@unibo.it
Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Italy.
Massimiliano Varani
Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Italy.
Mirko Maraldi
Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Italy.
Francesco Paolini
CNH Industrial - Tractor Innovation Engineering, Modena, Italy.
Stefano Fiorati
CNH Industrial - Tractor Innovation Engineering, Modena, Italy.
Giovanni Molari
Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Italy.

In the last decades, heavier and more powerful tractors were introduced to the market and they require bigger tyres in order to exert higher traction forces but also to limit soil compaction. Therefore, different solutions were proposed by manufacturers to increase the footprints of traction elements, so that a higher drawbar pull is allowed especially in cohesive soils. However, these solutions have provided a limited increase in the traction efficiency. Recently, Trelleborg have developed a tyre named PneuTrac. The main feature of this tyre lies in the fact that the carcass is radially flexible like a standard radial tyre, but still able to support cornering loads like tracks. This allows the tyre to run with a very low inflating pressure. The aim of this paper was to compare the tractive performance of a set PneuTrac with that of an equivalent set of standard radial tyres. Both types of tyre were mounted on the same tractor, equipped with a CAN-Bus data logger, a load cell and a GPS receiver to measure the drawbar pull and other vehicle operating parameters. Drawbar tests were carried out in three different soil conditions. Results show that PneuTrac performance was slightly less affected by soil conditions than in the case of traditional radial tyres. Overall, PneuTrac tyres permit to increase the drawbar pull up to 5.7% and to reduce slip. PneuTrac tyres also provided a 7.7% increase in the power delivery efficiency with respect to traditional radial tyres.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC
Ali, O. S., & McKyes, E. 1979. Effects on Soil Thrust of Lug Angle, Length and Soil Consistency. T. ASAE, 22(6), 1294–1298. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.35201. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.35201
Arvidsson, J., Westlin, H., Keller, T., & Gilbertsson, M. 2011. Rubber track systems for conventional tractors – Effects on soil compaction and traction. Soil Till. Research, 117, 103–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2011.09.004. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2011.09.004
ASTM. 2010. D4318—Test Methods for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index of Soils. ASTM International.
Bashford, L. L., Al-Hamed, S., & Jenane, C. 1993. Effects of Tire Size and Inflation Pressure on Tractive Performance. Appl. Eng. Agric., 9(4), 343–348. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.25994. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.25994
Bashford, L. L., Von, B., Way, T. R., & Xiaoxian, L. 1987. Performance comparisons between duals and singles on the rear axle of a front wheel assist tractor. T. ASABE, 30(3), 641–645.
Brassart, F. 1994. Traction and Agricultural Tractor Tire Selection Studies. LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/5855.
Fancello, G., Szente, M., Kovács, L., Kocsis, L., Szalay, K., Piron, E., … Héritier, P. 2015. Agricultural tyre energy efficiency test method link with specific fuel consumption for measuring the efficiency of agricultural tyres under real conditions on tractors. LandTechnik 2015, 203–209. Hannover.
Ianto, J. G. 2011. An analysis of the interaction between the front and rear axles of a four-wheel-drive tractor, and its contribution to power delivery efficiency. Harper Adams University College, Newport.
ISO. 2018. Agricultural tractor drive wheel tyres—Explanation of rolling circumference index (RCI) and speed radius index (SRI) and method of measuring tyre rolling circumference. Norm ISO R- 11795:2018. International Organization for Standardization Publ., Geneva, Switzerland.
JanuleviÄius, A., Pupinis, G., & Kurkauskas, V. 2014. How driving wheels of front-loaded tractor interact with the terrain depending on tire pressures. J. Terramechanics, 53(Supplement C), 83–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jterra.2014.03.008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jterra.2014.03.008
Jenane, C., Bashford, L. L., & Monroe, G. 1996. Reduction of Fuel Consumption Through Improved Tractive Performance. J. Agr. Eng. Res., 64(2), 131–138. https://doi.org/10.1006/jaer.1996.0054. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/jaer.1996.0054
Kumar, S., Pandey, K. P., Kumar, R., & Ashok Kumar, A. 2018. Effect of ballasting on performance characteristics of bias and radial ply tyres with zero sinkage. Measurement, 121, 218–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2018.02.043. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2018.02.043
McKyes, E. 2012. Agricultural Engineering Soil Mechanics. New York: Elsevier.
Molari, G., Bellentani, L., Guarnieri, A., Walker, M., & Sedoni, E. 2012. Performance of an agricultural tractor fitted with rubber tracks. Biosyst. Eng., 111(1), 57–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2011.10.008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2011.10.008
Molari, G., Mattetti, M., Perozzi, D., & Sereni, E. 2013. Monitoring of the tractor working parameters from the CAN-Bus. (pp 384-386). In Proc. AIIA 13. Horizons in agricultural, forestry and biosystems engineering, Viterbo, Italy. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/jae.2013.319
Molari, G., Mattetti, M., & Walker, M. 2015. Field performance of an agricultural tractor fitted with rubber tracks on a low trafficable soil. Journal of Agricultural Engineering, 46(4), 162–166.
Novoplanski, A. 2014. Patent No. US20140158268 A1.
Olesen, J. E., & Bindi, M. 2002. Consequences of climate change for European agricultural productivity, land use and policy. Eur. J. Agron., 16(4), 239–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1161-0301(02)00004-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1161-0301(02)00004-7
Patel, N., Slade, R., & Clemmet, J. 2010. The ExoMars rover locomotion subsystem. J. Terramechanics, 47(4), 227–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jterra.2010.02.004. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jterra.2010.02.004
Regazzi, N., Maraldi, M., & Molari, G. 2019. A theoretical study of the parameters affecting the power delivery efficiency of an agricultural tractor. Biosyst. Eng., 186, 214–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2019.07.006. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2019.07.006
Schjønning, P., van den Akker, J. J. H., Keller, T., Greve, M. H., Lamandé, M., Simojoki, A., … Breuning-Madsen, H. 2015. Chapter Five—Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) Analysis and Risk Assessment for Soil Compaction—A European Perspective. Adv. Agron., 133, 183–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2015.06.001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2015.06.001
Šmerda, T., & Čupera, J. 2010. Tire inflation and its influence on drawbar characteristics and performance – Energetic indicators of a tractor set. J. Terramechanics, 47(6), 395–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jterra.2010.02.005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jterra.2010.02.005
Turner, R. J. 1993. Single, dual and triple tires and rubber belt tracks in prairie soil conditions. ASAE/CSAE International Summer Meeting. Presented at the Spokane, Washington. Spokane, Washington.
Upadhyaya, S. K., Chancellor, W. J., & Wulfsohn, D. 1988. Sources of variability in traction data. J. Terramechanics, 25(4), 249–272. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-4898(88)90040-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-4898(88)90040-7
Zoz, F. M., & Grisso, R. D. 2003. Traction and tractor performance. ASAE Distinguished Lecture Series n. 27.

How to Cite

Mattetti, M., Varani, M., Maraldi, M., Paolini, F., Fiorati, S. and Molari, G. (2020) “Tractive performance of Trelleborg PneuTrac tyres”, Journal of Agricultural Engineering, 51(2), pp. 100–106. doi: 10.4081/jae.2020.1031.

PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.