Optimization of Cab Suspension Using Tractor-Ride Vibration Simulation Model

Highlights This study created a simulation model to predict the ride vibration of a tractor and to optimize its suspension. The parameters of the tractor were obtained from various tests to create a fully validated model. The acceleration measured in a tractor cabin was compared with the simulation model in the time and frequency domains. The ride vibration of a tractor was evaluated under various road conditions with a fully validated model. Abstract. A typical problem with tractors and other agricultural machinery is the excessive ride vibration, which results in an inconvenient working environment and poses a risk to the health of operators. In this study, a simulation model for predicting the ride vibration of a tractor and optimizing the cabin suspension was developed to address this limitation. First, the required parameters used computation tests to create the simulation model. Mode and frequency-response function analyses were then performed to validate the model for ride vibration, from which the natural frequency and mode shape were analyzed. Subsequently, the riding characteristics of an actual tractor on a stepped road surface were simulated using a four-post road simulator, and the acceleration measured in the cab was compared with that of the simulation model in the time and frequency domains. Finally, the parameters of the cabin suspension were optimized using the validated simulation model, and the correlation between the cabin suspension parameters and ride vibration was examined. Following optimization, the vibration value of the tractor cab was found to decrease as the damping coefficient of the cabin suspension decreased for all surface conditions selected in the simulation. Thus, the developed tractor simulation model can be used as a ride vibration simulation when developing the control logic of a tractor’s cabin suspension, as well as a plant model of hardware-in-the-loop simulation to verify the control logic. Keywords: Hydro-pneumatic suspension, Optimization, Ride vibration, Simulation model, Tractor cab, Validation.