Agricultural tractor bogie axle adoption: Market opportunities and traction and ground pressure improvements through mobility metrics and simulations

Abstract

Traction and ground pressure are key aspects of modern off-highway machinery. On the one hand, the machinery must be able to move successfully on rough terrain, on the other hand, the soil cannot be excessively ruined, particularly in agriculture fields that must be as productive as possible. In this regard, when the soil is very sensitive to ground pressure and slip efficiency, tracks are often mounted on agricultural tractors rather than wheels. Regrettably, it significantly diminishes the multi-purpose functionality of modern agricultural tractors, which is an essential feature. To offer higher pulling efficiency, reduced ground pressure, and greater multi-purpose functionality, an agricultural tractor fitted with a rear bogie axle is hereby presented. A market analysis is carried out to demonstrate the potential of such a vehicle. Subsequently, an ideal agricultural tractor is proposed for benchmarking purposes and as the baseline for designing the bogie axle application. Their pulling performance is evaluated by using a custom-made spreadsheet, while a novel coefficient named Pull on Pressure is introduced to assess off-road mobility. Ultimately, the two variations of the agricultural tractors undergo testing on vehicle dynamics simulation software to conduct an initial comparative analysis.