Measurement of strains induced on a three-bottom

Huseyin Yurdem, Adnan Degirmencioglu,

Engin Cakir, Ercan Gulsoylu
moldboard plough under load and comparisons Ege University, Faculty of Agriculture,
with finite element simulations Department of Agricultural Engineering
and Technology, 35100 Izmir, Turkey
 ABSTRACT
This paper reveals the results of a study
performed on a three-bottom
moldboard plough in order to measure
the strains in field measurements by
means of bounded strain gages on
different parts of the moldboard frame
and compares them with the results of
finite element simulations. It was found
that the reduced thickness of the
moldboard frame did not cause
excessive stresses and the measured
strains showed a close agreement with
the simulated data.
 Introduction
• Moldboard ploughs are still one of the essential
tillage tools in agriculture.
• Small manufacturers are not capable of producing
machinery without using the engineering tools
efficiently.
• Improvement in plough design would considerably
reduce the amount of material and cost.
• The design of a plough is based on the previous
experiments and trials in the field
• Possibility to predict the stress distribution on the
plough frame and whether the plough frame could
bear the load under different working conditions
using Finite Element Method.
• Comparison of simulation and field experiments to
get more accurate results
 Introduction
Degirmencioglu et al.,
• forces and stress distribution on a three-
bottom plough frame were simulated
• overstressed regions were determined
• They were able to make a 17.6% saving by
decreasing the cross section of the frame and
shanks as a result of the simulation.
• They recommended to test the new frame
with reduced cross section instrumented with
strain gages in field conditions and finding the
strains in order to calculate the stresses on the
frame.
• They also implied that the comparisons with
the simulation results should be achieved.
Objectives of the study
• determine the strains and stresses
acting on a normal
(manufactured in a conventional
cross section) and reduced cross
section plough frame and to
provide the validity of the work
conducted by Degirmencioglu et
al.
• compare the strains obtained from
the field tests by means of strain
gages with the results of the
simulations by Finite Element
Analysis.
 LITERATURE REVIEW
Kiss and Below
• Study on stress analysis of
cultivator shares
• measured the necessary
draft, horizontal and
vertical forces of cultivator
working at different depths
and forward speeds
• found out that 20–34% less
draft force on tines lined on
front row comparing the
back-row tines
Brown et al. Kerényi et al.
• saved 23% material on a • predicted the stresses on two
chisel of 10 m wide by different rotating ploughs by
using Finite Element
reducing the thickness of
• compared the field results
the legs from 6.35 m to measured on the plough by
4.76 mm by using finite strain gages bounded on the
element analysis body that will allow to obtain
• found out that similar the whole stress matrix.
stresses to the ones • found that the predictions
obtained from the cross- were close to the measured
section shank data and to increase the
stability of the plough
• recommended that the
support tire should be placed
at the location where they
found the stresses very high
 LITERATURE REVIEW
Plouffe et al.
• investigated the effect of tillage on the parts and
adjustment of a plough in the field tests by a
computer simulation using Finite Element Method
• results shows that the forces in longitudinal x-axis
were found 1.4 and 2.7 times higher than vertical
y-axis and horizontal z-axis respectively
• observed that specific vertical load decreases
with increasing width because of the increase in
shear forces and friction.
• the decrease in friction increased the vertical load
which allowed the plough to penetrate the soil
easily while reducing longitudinal specific load.
• reducing the tillage depth to a minimum level
reduced draft and fuel consumption 16% and 8%,
respectively.
• using disk coulter and shorter landside reduced
draft 8% and 3%, respectively.
Plouffe et al.
• studied the tillage effect of moldboard plough
while working at a depth of 100, 150, and 200
mm at 0.5, 1, and 2 m/s forward speeds in clay
soil in the soil bin and they compared the
results with the data obtained from the finite
element simulations.
• Critical state theory and Coulomb models
were used to examine the mechanical
properties of the soil and soil-metal friction
behavior.
• No statistically significant difference was found
between the simulation results and forces
measured in x-axis in the field tests.
• It was concluded that Cam-clay model could
be used where cohesion is negligible and finite
element analysis was able to predict the soil-
metal behavior in three-dimensions.
 LITERATURE REVIEW
Witte
• first scientist to use Finite Element Method
on a 3-bottom plough.
• analyzed the stresses on the plough with
different beam thicknesses changing from
1 to 5 mm in 0.5 mm steps and various
width and depth varying between 100 mm
and 200 mm.
• safe dimensions of each plough were
calculated.
• Assumptions are 210 GPa for modulus of
elasticity on the frame and 81 GPa for
modulus of rigidity on each element.
• Results shows that Finite Element Method
saved great deal of time when compared
to hand calculations.
Neugebauer et al.
• analyzed the stresses on a four-bottom
reversible plough by static loading in
laboratory conditions and by strain-gage
method in the field tests
• Results shows that
i. plough with new dimension was
found more stable and lighter.
ii. center of the gravity was closer to the
three-point hitch
• As a result of these modifications, more
homogenous stress distribution on the
frame was obtained as compared to the
traditional ploughs.
 MATERIALS
Ploughs
• The ploughs examined were 3 bottom-
moldboard ploughs, one with regular
cross-section and the other with
reduced cross-section.

Tractor
• Turk Fiat1 80-66 4WD DT model, 62.6 kW
tractor was used in the field tests. The
three-point linkage was suited to the
Category II according to ISO 730/1.
 MATERIALS
Strain gages and bounding locations
• The strain gages were bounded at different locations on the
plough.
 MATERIALS
Strain gages and bounding locations
 MATERIALS
Draft measurement frame and load cells
• Three load cells mounted on a special designed frame were used
for the draft measurement. Load cells were placed in three-point
hitch connection points.
 MATERIALS
Data logger and computer
• supply the voltage necessary
for the load cells and the
strain gages, and to
• amplify the signal output to
a computer. To receive more
data

Experiment field
• Experiments were
conducted in the field of
Faculty of Agriculture, Ege
University.
• 15.6% clay, 26% silt and
58.4% sand. The average soil
moisture was measured as
8.76% (d.b.)
 METHODS
Strain gage calibration Field measurements
procedure • Experiments were conducted in a field
with dry soil in order to load the ploughs
• Data logger can only to a maximum level.
support full bridge – • The cross bar was replaced with a straight
three dummy gages bar on the plough for correct force
were used analysis in the load measuring three-point
hitch frame.
• Shunt calibration • For loading, the ploughs were used at 50
procedure m long plot covered with wheat residue
at a depth of 0.25 m.
• The average speed was calculated as
4.86 km/hr.
• Different measurement combinations
were made to get the whole stress matrix
 METHODS
DATA EVALUATION
Determination of the draft
• The reaction forces on tractor linkages and the forces acting on
a plough is schematically
 METHODS
DATA EVALUATION
Determination of strains
• The voltage changes were then converted to strains using the calibration
curve.
• Strain versus draft relation
• Comparison of stresses on normal and reduced size plough
• Stresses at frame were calculated according to the Hooke’s Law and the
modulus of elasticity of the material used in plough was assumed to be 207
GPa.
• Maximum and minimum principal strain, maximum and minimum principal
stresses, modulus of elasticity, poisson’s ratio, angle from the major
principal axis, von-Mises stress were determined based on the orientation
of the strain gages
METHODS
 METHODS
DATA EVALUATION
Finite element analysis of the problem
• Technical dimensions along with coordinates of the ploughs to be
analyzed were recorded in the Finite Element Software.
• Since the ploughs are not symmetrical to any axis (x, y, and z), only the
frame was modeled in three dimensions except the plough bottom, three-
point hitch and the beam.
• The frame model representing the simple model of the plough was
analyzed using the finite element
METHODS
 METHODS
DATA EVALUATION
Finite element analysis of the problem
Some assumptions given below were made regarding the simulations of
stresses and strains of the loaded plough frame in three dimensions.
It was assumed that;
• The plough bottom, shank, and three-point hitch are strong enough to
bear loading conditions to simplify the problem,
• The forces acting on the plough are located at the bottom only and then
transferred to the frame,
• The main frame and the bottom of the plough are made of the same
material having same modulus of elasticity of 207 Gpa and Poisson’s ratio
of 0.35 as an isotropic material. The yield strength used in the analysis was
assumed to be 345 MPa for this material.
• The forces at z-axis are negligible.
 METHODS
DATA EVALUATION
Boundary conditions applied
• The direction of the travel of the plough was taken as x-axis, vertical axis as
y-axis and side axis as z-axis in the finite element program for simulation.
• The boundary values were assigned at the front side of the plough where
the three-point hitch located and at nodes of the edges where the
plough frame is separated into two directions to prevent motion in x, y and
z-axes and the rotation of the plough in space (BC1).
• The second boundary condition (BC2) was applied for distributing the load
at bottoms. Each bottom was loaded with a horizontal load of 6.67 kN and
vertical load of 0.66 kN at the nodes of the plough bottom.
METHODS
 Results and discussions
Results from field measurements
• the strains and stresses were found higher in reduced plough as
compared to the normal plough.
• Reducing the cross-section increased the stresses in the frame.
• The stress calculated in the third bottom of the normal plough, NKC1-1
was found to be 16.6 MPa whereas it was measured 23.5 MPa for the
reduced plough.
• The resultant force measured at the center of 2nd and 3rd bottom forces
the shank and the frame for compression. The torsion effect due to the
tendency of forcing the back bottoms of the plough out of the furrow in
heavy tillage conditions were also observed during the field tests. For this
reason, not only negative stresses but also torsions were measured in the
frame.
 Results and discussions
Results from field measurements
• The stresses were measured higher in the second bottom of the plough
as compared to the others.
• The stresses in the second bottom were calculated to be 22.8 and 36.6
MPa for the normal and reduced plough, respectively
• The measured strains from the rosette type strain gages placed on the
shanks of the ploughs under 20 kN draft condition were given in Table 5.
• Although reducing the cross-section of the frame was in our capabilities,
the cross-sections of the shanks could not be reduced due to technical
difficulties.
• Under these conditions, the measured von-Mises stresses were expected
to be the same in shanks for normal and reduced cross section ploughs.
Results and discussions
 Results and discussions
Results from field measurements
• Likewise, the stresses were found to be similar for both ploughs as seen in
Table 5.
• Similar to the findings in the frame, the highest stresses were found in the
second bottom shank to be 79 MPa for the reduced cross section and
82 MPa for the normal cross section.
• These values are quite lower than the von-Mises stresses which is 345 MPa
for a steel with 207 GPa modulus of elasticity as seen from Table 5.
• This means that plough has met the safety conditions since safety factor
(the ratio of von-Mises stress and measured stress) ranges between 4.2
and 6.3 for the reduced cross section plough while the safety factor
varies between 4.3 and 5.8 for the normal plough.
Results and discussions
 Results and discussions
Simulation results and comparisons with the measured data
• The results of the measured strains and the calculated stresses were
compared with the results from simulations using finite element method.
• The comparison of the results was limited to the ones obtained on the
plough frame only.
• The results obtained from both field measurements and simulations are
tabulated in Table 6.
• The normal stresses occured on the body of a plough frame at a cross
section of 85 x 25 mm under 20 kN dynamic load are depicted in Fig. 12.
• As seen from Table 6, the measured strains are in good agreement with
the results found from the simulations.
Results and discussions
Results and discussions
 Results and discussions
Simulation results and comparisons with the measured data
• The differences between the experimental and simulation results could
be attributed to the conditions encountered in the field since the plough
body was sometimes not horizontal to the ground.
• The differences in stresses could also be resulted from the assumed
modulus of elasticity and Poisson’s ratio in simulations.
• It was always kept in mind that the values obtained are valid only for the
locations where the strain gages were bounded.
 CONCLUSION
• Since there was no bending or deformation observed during
the field tests on normal and reduced ploughs, it could be
stated that the plough frame can be constructed by 70 x 25
mm cross-section (reduced cross section) instead of 85 x 25
mm (conventional cross section).
• It was also found that the stresses in the middle bottom of the
plough were greater than the other bottoms.
• The simulation results and measured strains were found to be
in good agreement. It can be also stated that other farm
machinery or tools can be designed using Finite Element
Analysis.
 CONCLUSION
• This will not only provide an economical farm machinery
production but also allow agro-technical design.
• Further studies are needed in different soil and operating
conditions to enhance the understanding of how a torsion
phenomena occurs.