Strength-based design analysis of a Para-Plow tillage tool

• Published in: Computers and electronics in agriculture 2020-02, Vol.169, p.105168, Article 105168
• Main Authors: Celik, H. Kursat, Caglayan, Nuri, Topakci, Mehmet, Rennie, Allan E.W., Akinci, Ibrahim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural equipment; Agricultural machinery; Agricultural management; Algorithms; CAD; Computer aided design; Computer simulation; Deformation; Deformation analysis; Deformation mechanisms; Design analysis; Design parameters; Experimental stress analysis; Field tests; Finite element analysis; Finite element method; Optimization; Para-Plow; Plastic deformation; Plows; Soil dynamics; Strain gauges; Stress analysis; Structural design; Structural members; Tillage; Yield point
• ISSN: 0168-1699; 1872-7107
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compag.2019.105168

•A novel strength-based design analysis application algorithm was developed.•The algorithm was put into practice in a step–by-step design analysis (Para-Plow).•In core, experimental and advanced CAD/CAE methods have been utilised.•Useful design analysis printouts were revealed for a structural optimisation.•A guiding strategy for complicated deformation analyses were presented. In this research, experimental field tests and an advanced computer aided design and engineering (CAD and CAE) based application algorithm was developed and tested. The algorithm was put into practice through a case study on the strength-based structural design analysis of a Para-Plow tillage tool. Para-Plow is an effective tractor attached tillage tool utilised as an alternative to the conventional deep tillage tools used in agricultural tillage operations. During heavy tillage operations, the Para-Plow experiences highly dynamic soil reaction forces which may cause undesired deformations and functional failures on its structural elements. Here, prediction of the deformation behaviour of the tool structure during tillage operation in order to describe optimum structural design parameters for the tool elements and produce a functionally durable tool become an important issue. In the field experiments, draft force and strain-gauge based measurements on the tool were carried out simultaneously. Subsequently, Finite Element Method based stress analysis (FEA) were employed in order to simulate deformation behaviour of the tool under consideration of the maximum loading (worst-case scenario) conditions tested in the field. In the field experiments, average and maximum resultant draft forces were measured as 33,514 N and 51,716 N respectively. The FEA revealed that the maximum deformation value of the tool was 9.768 mm and the maximum stress values impart a change on the most critical structural elements of between 50 and 150 MPa under a worst-case loading scenario. Additionally, a validation study revealed that minimum and maximum relative differences for the equivalent stress values between experimental and simulation results were 5.17% and 30.19% respectively. This indicated that the results obtained from both the experimental and simulation are reasonably in union and there were no signs of plastic deformation on the Para-Plow elements (according to the material yield point) under pre-defined loading conditions and a structural optimisation on some of the structural elements may also