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Dynamic Push-Pull Strength Data Generation for Agricultural Workers to Develop Manual Dryland Weeders


Affiliations
1 ICAR-Directorate of Weed Research, Jabalpur 482 004, India
2 Department of Farm Machinery and Power, Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641 003, India
 

Existing manual hoes are dynamic push-pull weeders, but their designs are based on static force exertions. A test rig was developed to optimize the speed and force exertions. At 1.0 km h-1, an operator can exert 20 to 25 kgf. Based on optimized results V-shaped blade (V) and straight blade (S) weeders were developed and evaluated along with the existing twin wheel hoe (T). Performance of the V and S weeders was higher than T. The field capacities were 0.026, 0.033 and 0.33 ha h-1 and energy expenditures were 20.35, 18.82 and 18.78 kJ min-1 respectively, for T, S and V; however V was best amongst the three.

Keywords

Dynamic Force, Energy Expenditure, Field Capacity, Heart Rate, LCP.
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  • Dynamic Push-Pull Strength Data Generation for Agricultural Workers to Develop Manual Dryland Weeders

Abstract Views: 217  |  PDF Views: 89

Authors

C. R. Chethan
ICAR-Directorate of Weed Research, Jabalpur 482 004, India
D. Anantha Krishnan
Department of Farm Machinery and Power, Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641 003, India

Abstract


Existing manual hoes are dynamic push-pull weeders, but their designs are based on static force exertions. A test rig was developed to optimize the speed and force exertions. At 1.0 km h-1, an operator can exert 20 to 25 kgf. Based on optimized results V-shaped blade (V) and straight blade (S) weeders were developed and evaluated along with the existing twin wheel hoe (T). Performance of the V and S weeders was higher than T. The field capacities were 0.026, 0.033 and 0.33 ha h-1 and energy expenditures were 20.35, 18.82 and 18.78 kJ min-1 respectively, for T, S and V; however V was best amongst the three.

Keywords


Dynamic Force, Energy Expenditure, Field Capacity, Heart Rate, LCP.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv113%2Fi08%2F1601-1605