Factors affecting the change in wheel resistance and track depth of wide-grip sprinkler machines

The operation of sprinkler machines is accompanied by the formation of a track with undercarriages, leading to an increase in resistance to wheel movement and leading to many negative consequences: over-watering of irrigated areas, an increase in energy expended on movement, an increase in soil compaction, etc. The depth of the track and the resistance to wheel movement depend on many parameters: soil moisture, irrigation mode, soil bearing capacity, wheel geometry, etc. But the greatest influence is exerted by the load on the wheel axle and the air pressure in the tires. The article presents the results of laboratory studies of installations that simulate the undercarriage of sprinkler machines, which showed that while maintaining a constant air pressure in the tires, an increase in the axle load of the pneumatic wheel from 0,1 to 1.0 kN leads to an increase in the track depth to 4 cm, and also a linear increase in the resistance to wheel movement. With an increase in the pressure generated by the pneumatic wheel, the permanent deformation, the depth of the track, and, consequently, the resistance to movement of the pneumatic wheel increases. The track depth increases by 20 % with an increase in tire pressure from 0,5 to 1,0 MPa. With a constant load on the axle of the wheel, the resistance to movement of the pneumatic wheel increases on average by 25 % when the air pressure in the tires rises from 0,5 to 1,6 MPa. Optimization of running systems, the ratio of the load on the axle of the wheel, geometrical parameters and characteristics, as well as the air pressure in the tires is an urgent task.