Design and Development of a Fourwheeled Drive Multipurpose Prime Mover for Oil Palm Plantation Mechanization
A new completely integrated machine system for mechanizing the field operations in the oil palm plantation in Malaysia has been successfully designed, developed and evaluated. The machine system consists of a 4WD multi purpose prime mover associated with its machine attachments for circle sprayin...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
2009
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/7832/1/ABS_%3D%3D%3D__FK_2009_54.pdf http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/7832/ |
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| Summary: | A new completely integrated machine system for mechanizing the field operations in
the oil palm plantation in Malaysia has been successfully designed, developed and
evaluated. The machine system consists of a 4WD multi purpose prime mover
associated with its machine attachments for circle spraying, blanket spraying and infield
FFB collection-transportation operation and provisions for the other future
machine attachments.
Computations were made to predict the overall performances of the proposed 4WD
multi purpose prime mover based on the terrain parameters obtained from the study
on the mechanical terrain properties. Computations also were made to estimate on
the overall hydrostatics efficiency of the prime mover, and the required hydraulic
pressure for operating all actuators within the respective machine attachments.
Besides, a study on machine and human performances in oil palm cultivations in
Malaysia has been sucessfully conducted to identify the critical field operations or
tasks within the nursery and field stage operations prior to establishing the design concept of the 4WD multipurpose prime mover with its respective machine
attachments. The greater priority was given to the identified critical field operations
and the identified tasks within the operation in designing and developing the types
of machine attachments for the 4WD multi purpose prime mover. The attachments
for spraying operations and in-field FFB collection-transportation operation were
given a greater priority to be designed and developed to complete the functionality of
the prime mover in order to be a universal prime mover.
Results from field evaluations had showed that the average effective field capacity
for the circle spraying operation with the machine system was found to be 0.98 ha/hr
or equal to 7.89 ha/man-day with 8 committed working hours per day or increments
of average effective machine field capacity of 1.97 over the Serena LT16 knapsack
sprayer.
The average effective field capacity for the blanket spraying operation with the
machine system was found to be 3.82 ha/hr or equal to 30.61 ha/man-day with 8
committed working hours per day or increments of average effective machine field
capacity of 1.53 times over the mini-tractor with fully mounted 10 m boom sprayer.
The average machine output of in-field FFB collection-transportation operation with
the machine system operating on gently undulating terrain was 2.620 ton/hr or equal
to 20.965 ton/day with 8 committed working hours per day. An average machine
output increment of 3.58% higher than average machine output of 2.526 ton/hr or
equal to 20.213 ton/day was obtained when the machine system operating on sloping
terrain.A spraying cost increment per hectare of 24.90% or an additional cost of RM5.36/ha
(1.53 USD/ha) was obtained in circle spraying operation with the prime mover over
the Serena LT16 knapsack sprayer. Increasing the effective field capacity of the
machine system to a value equal or greater than 1.33 ha/hr (i.e. 26.3% increased) or
reducing the initial cost of the machine system to RM27,500 (USD 7714.28) or 0.41
times reduction would qualify the machine system to be cost effective over the
Serena LT16 knapsack sprayer for circle spraying operation.
A spraying cost reduction per hectare of 19.54% or a cost saving of RM1.54/ha (0.44
USD/ha) was obtained in blanket spraying operation with the prime mover over the
mini tractor with fully mounted 10 m width boom sprayer.
An operating cost reduction in the range of 6.74% to 14.25% per ton or cost savings
in the range of RM0.62/ton (0.18 USD/ton) to RM1.31/ton (0.37 USD/ton) were
obtained in in-field FFB collection-transportation operation with the prime mover
over the mini tractor-trailer with grabber.
In-field FFB collection-transportation operation by the prime mover with in-field
FFB collection-transportation attachment was 63.35 times more exhausting on basis
of the measured human energy expenditure, 1.59 times more demanding on basis of
the measured mean increase in heart rate, and 1.16 times less dawdling on basis of
the measured average field capacity than the operation by the mini tractor-trailer with
grabber.Circle spraying operation by the prime mover with circle spraying attachment was
0.89 times less exhausting on basis of the measured of the human energy
expenditure, 0.32 times less demanding on the basis of the measured mean increase
in heart rate and 1.78 times less dawdling on the basis of the measured average field
capacity than the operation by the Serena LT16 knapsack sprayer. |
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