Determination of the contact patch length in tractor tire-soil interaction

Abstract

EN: Soil fertility is determined mainly by its level of compaction. For a single wheel, this level depends on the pressure, which is calculated by dividing the wheel's vertical load by its contact patch area. The latter is directly related to the length of the tire's contact patch with the soil (L k ). In this regard, this article aims to develop a strategy for selecting the parameters of a tractor chassis system based on the analysis of such an analytical dependence for determining the length of the wheel-soil contact line, which would contain the radius (R) and the tire width (b); the vertical load on the tire (G) and the air pressure in it (ρ k ); the soil characteristic in the form of the coefficient of volumetric compression (k). The results of theoretical and experimental studies of such a dependence have established that an increase in the contact line length of the wheel with the soil causes an increase in the values of the parameters R and G on the one hand, and a decrease in the values of b, ρ k k and k parameters on the other. However, to practically implement the functional link of increasing the L parameter and subsequently reduce the compaction effect of the wheel on the soil, it is necessary to increase the wheel radius and tire width, while reducing the tire air pressure and the vertical load on the wheel. From an agronomic perspective, it is necessary to create a soil structure with a lower coefficient of volumetric compression.