Vibration Project

Title

Tractor Vibration
Cause, Effect and Solution

Made by

Awais Ahmed 120501030

Annas Khan
120501042
22 Dec 2015

Date
Submitted to

Dr.Asif Israr

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

INSTITUTE OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY
ISLAMABAD

Table of Contents
Background............................................................................................................. 2
Why vibration need to be reduced..........................................................................2
Frequency ranges.................................................................................................... 2
Method of transmission........................................................................................... 2
Cause of vibrations.................................................................................................. 3
Effect of vibration.................................................................................................... 4
Minimizing vibrations.............................................................................................. 4
Survey..................................................................................................................... 5
Mathematical Model................................................................................................ 7
Conclusion............................................................................................................... 8
References.............................................................................................................. 8

Background

The tractor driver operates under following condition

In extreme temperatures,
Lots of dust particle
Without vibration reducing designs of tractors [1]

Why vibration need to be reduced

To increase driver comfort

To increase driver endurance limit
So that vehicle can last long as vibration causes wear and tear[2]

Frequency ranges
Vibration in tractors can be categorized under three categories.
Low frequency which ranges from 1-50Hz. This frequency is mostly in cab, steering wheel

etc.
Medium frequency range 100-1000Hz which are caused by vibrations in transmission and
exhaust system.
high frequencies range 1000-5000 Hz which are vibrations of the engine generated by the
combustion.

All the frequency ranges are harmful but the most harmful vibration is in the range of 2-5 Hz as
resonance of body parts occurs with in this range.[3]

Method of transmission
Vibrations are generated in different components of tractor which are then transmitted to the
drivers body

through the seat, when whole body vibration of the operator is induced.[4]
through manual controls and the steering wheel, vibrations in upper limbs is caused
through the floor of the cab and foot controls, vibrations in lower limbs of the operator are
caused.

Cause of vibrations

Imbalance

A heavy spot in a rotating component will cause vibration when the unbalanced weight rotates
around the machines axis, creating a centrifugal force. Imbalance could be caused by
manufacturing defects (machining errors, casting flaws) or maintenance issues (deformed or
dirty fan blades, missing balance weights). As machine speed increases, the effects of imbalance
become greater. Imbalance can severely reduce bearing life as well as cause undue machine
vibration.

Misalignment

Vibration can result when machine shafts are out of line. Angular misalignment occurs when the
axes of (for example) a motor and pump are not parallel. When the axes are parallel but not
exactly aligned, the condition is known as parallel misalignment. Misalignment may be caused
during assembly or develop over time, due to thermal expansion, components shifting or
improper reassembly after maintenance. The resulting vibration may be radial or axial (in line
with the axis of the machine) or both.

Wear

As components such as ball or roller bearings, drive belts or gears become worn, they may cause
vibration. When a roller bearing race becomes pitted, for instance, the bearing rollers will cause a
vibration each time they travel over the damaged area. A gear tooth that is heavily chipped or
worn, or a drive belt that is breaking down, can also produce vibration.

Looseness

Vibration that might otherwise go unnoticed may become obvious and destructive if the
component that is vibrating has loose bearings or is loosely attached to its mounts. Such
looseness may or may not be caused by the underlying vibration. Whatever its cause, looseness
can allow any vibration present to cause damage, such as further bearing wear, wear and fatigue
in equipment mounts and other components.

The engine

Engine mounts are very effective in reducing vibrations through the whole vehicle. In internal
combustion as the fuel is burnt, lots of forces are produced which causes vibration. The
movement of the piston rod also contributes to the vibrations.
The unevenness in ground surfaces
The ground is very rough with many bumps which result in the vibrations.

Uneven Tire wear

Some of the part are tire are worn out earlier due to even surface than the other which result in
tire to roll unevenly and cause vibrations.

Effect of vibration

Health issues

The vibration transmitted to the tractor driver not only leads to the driver health problems, but
also reduces the driver working efficiency. It is certain now that short-term exposure to
vibrations can cause annoying sensations within the human body, pain in abdomen and chest,
breathing difficulties, nausea, loss of balance and worsen performance in precise controlling,
while long-term exposure can lead to disorders in psychomotoric, physiological and psychic
skills of a driver and cause serious health issues, especially with the spine.[2]

Effect on vehicle

Exposure to constant vibrations reduces the life of the vehicle. Unchecked vibrations can
accelerate the rates of wear cracks initiate at different locations which decrease the strength of
the vehicle and vehicle can be damaged under high stresses.

Noise

Vibrations can produce noise of very high loudness which can cause safety problems.

Consumption of power

Vibrations can cause machinery to consume high power.[5]

Minimizing vibrations

Flexible Engine Mount Pieces

Engine mounts consists of metal flanges on the walls of the engine. They are made of
polyurethane or rubber to absorb the engine vibration. Transmission mounts should also be
used. They are used to insulate the body from vibration which are produced due to
transmission.

Body Stiffening Techniques

A strong and rigid frame resists the flexing and bending forces and prevents the transmission
of vibrations. The frame strength can be increased by adding crossbar in its structure which
can overall increase the structure stiffness. The frame should be firmly fixed in the position
so that it cant move to produce noise and vibrations. The engine should also be tightly fixed
in the frame. A loosely welded frame and poor fitting of the engine can increase vibrations

Harmonic Balancers
The crankshaft of a tractor has large mass and is tough as it has to face large force form the
pistons rods every minute. The crankshaft is exposed to twisting and flexing forces from the
piston rod. It can transmit vibrations and at certain RMP resonance can occurs in crankshaft
which can drastically increase vibrations and can cause machine failure. The balancer
dampens the different forces acting on the crankshaft by the piston.[1]

Active Vibration Control

In active vibration control equal but opposite vibration is used to counterbalance the
vibration. This task is performed by the electromagnetic actuator which is known as shaker at
chosen points. It can be used on the floor where driver sits or the steering wheel to reduce
vibration.

Use of wool cushion

Wool has energy absorbing property and acts as damper minimizing the
vibration.[3]

Survey

Figure 2

Figure 1

Name

Gul Khan

Tahir Mehmood

Mushtaq

Age

25

32

28

Nature of vehicle

Tractor

Tractor

Tractor

Working
Duration/ day

Working
since/years

10

Eye sight

Back pain

Chest pain

Nausea

Cold Fingering

Breathing
difficulty

Fatigue Problem

Illness Scale
Weak

Mathematical Model

Moderate

High

Figure 3

Assumption
Mass=1000kg
Spring suspension=350
Speed =40 km/h
Land surface varies 5m/cycle
When damping coefficient=0.25
w=2f=13.9

Wn=

=18.7

n= W/wn =0.74
n<1.41
So it in amplitude region

Amplitude Ratio can be found by

=1.84

Taking zeta 0.75

The amplitude ratio =1.24
Conclusion
From the result it was concluded that the amplitude ratio was decreased as the
damping coefficient was increased.
References
[1] A J Scarlett, J. S. (2005). Whole-body vibration on agricultural vehicles:. Ludlow: Silsoe
Research Institute and RMS Vibration Test Laboratory.
[2] ISO, Guide for the evaluation of human exposure to whole body vibration. Standard
2631,International Organization for Standardization (1985).
[3] Ahmadi, I. (2014). Development and evaluation of full-vehicle vibration. Res. Agr. Eng.,
60(3), 107114.
[4] Karabulut, M. M. (2012,, november 5). VIBRATION EFFECTS EXAMINATION OF
CUSHIONS. Theoretical and Applied Mechanics,, 42(4), 3140.
[5]NIRANJAN PRASAD*, V. K. (1995). TRACTOR RIDE VIBRATION--A REVIEW.
Terrarnechanics, 32(4), 205-219.
[6]ZLATKOVIC, B. C. (2013,). Evaluation of whole-body vibration risk in. Bulgarian Journal
of Agricultural Science, 155-1160.
[7] J. Matthews, The measurement of tractor ride comfort. SAE Paper 730795 (1973).