Energy Justification of the Number of Tractors for Agricultural Operations

Abstract

The relevance of the problem under study is due to the need to substantiate the sufficient number of tractors used for various technological operations, depending on the volume of works performed, and taking into account their influence on the crop yield. The purpose is to develop the mathematical model of machine and tractor units used in technological operations by formalizing the vague concept of optimal agrotechnical timing of technological operations and calculating the optimal number of tractors to perform works by the total energy costs. The main research method is mathematical modeling of operations performed by machine-tractor units based on the system analysis and computational experiments and using the energy mathematical model. The article describes a criterion for optimizing the tractor parameters, dependences of the energy mathematical model of the unit. The results of computational experiments showed that for each operation there is an optimal number of tractors and tractor units minimizing the minimum total energy costs. Calculations were carried out when treating 1000 hectares with various tractors. It was revealed that the total energy consumption differs by 2 or more times. The required number of tractors depends on their main parameters, propeller parameters and other factors. It was revealed that with an increase in the volume of works, the required optimal number of tractors increases. The method for substantiating the required optimal number of tractors in technological operations will improve operations of tractors used by large agricultural producers, reduce the total energy costs for cultivating up to 12–16 thousand MJ/ha.