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Effect of Lug Angle, Forward and Shaft Speeds, and Number of Passes on Puddling Characteristics and Performance of the Tilling Wheel of Float-Assisted Tiller

Arthur L. Fajardo1 and Delfin C. Suministrado2

 ABSTRACT

Float-assisted tiller is one of the tillage equipment used for lowland rice production. A float-assisted tiller consists of a front-mounted cage wheel (tilling wheel) and a float on which the engine is mounted. The   tilling wheel of the float-assisted tiller functions as a traction and puddling device. The paper studied the effect of lug angle (13° and 0°) on the puddling characteristics and performance of the tilling wheel at three forward speeds (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 km h-1), and three shaft speeds (200, 250 and 300 rev min-1) and number of passes (1st, 2nd and 3rd). The experiments were done using a single tilling wheel in a laboratory soil bin using Maahas clay.

 

The highest performance index of 1,334.6 m3 MJ-1 was obtained on 3rd pass using 13° lug angle set at    200 rev min-1 shaft speed and 1.5 km h-1 forward speed.  Performance index was affected by the lug angle, forward speed and number of passes.  The mean differences of performance index were significant only between 0.5 and 1.0 km h-1. The highest tractive efficiency was 11.2% with 13° on the 1st pass at 200 rev min-1 and 1.5 km h-1. Tractive efficiency with 13° lug angle was relatively higher than with 0°. Tractive efficiency was significantly affected by the lug angle and forward speed.  The mean differences of tractive efficiency were not significant between 1.0 and 1.5 km h-1. The best lug angle for float-assisted tiller would be with 13° lug angle operating at 1.0 km h-1 because of high performance index and tractive efficiency.

 

Keywords: tilling wheel lug angle; float-assisted tiller; performance index

1Associate Professor 2, Agricultural Machinery Division, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology, University of the Philippines Los Baños, 4031 College, Laguna, Philippines

2Professor 12, Agricultural Machinery Division, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology, University of the Philippines Los Baños, 4031 College, Laguna, Philippines

 

Citation:

Fajardo, A.L., and Suministrado, D.C.  (2019). Effect of Lug Angle, Forward and Shaft Speeds, and Number of Passes on Puddling Characteristics and Performance of the Tilling Wheel of Float-Assisted Tiller.  Philippine Journal of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, (15):3-12.

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