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Agricultural Engineering Notes

Agricultural engineering is the engineering discipline that studies agricultural production and
processing. Agricultural engineering combines the disciplines of mechanical, civil, electrical
and chemical engineering principles with a knowledge of agricultural principles according
to technological principles.

SOURCES OF FARM POWER:

1) HUMAN POWER-An average man can develop maximum power of about 0.1 hp for doing
farm work.A strong man can develop maximum power of about 75 watts (about 0.1 hp) for doing
farm work.The average human power availability in sustained working are as follows:

Male : 60 watts
(0.06 kW)

Female : 48 watts
(0.048 kW)

Children : 30 watts
(0.030 kW)

2) ANIMAL POWER
Power developed by an average pair of bullocks about 1 hp for usual farm work.
The average force a draft animal can exert is nearly one-tenth of its body weight.
DRAUGHT ANIMALS:Power availability from draught animals are related to its body weight.
On the basis of body weight, draught animal are classified as:

Small: (200 to 300 kg)

Medium: (301 to 400

kg)

Large: ( 401 to 500 kg)

Heavy: ( Above 500 kg)

Power available from draught animals is related to its body weight.

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Bullocks: Buffaloes :
About 10% About 12%
of body of body
weight weight

Camels: Donkeys:
About 18% About 32%
of body of body
weight weight

3) MECHANICAL POWER:
These engines are two types:
1) Spark ignition engines (Petrol or Kerosene engine):
2) Compression ignition engines (Diesel engines)

The thermal efficiency of

petrol engine varies from
25 to 32 per cent

The thermal efficiency

of diesel engine varies
from 32 to 38 per cent

TRACTOR
Tractor are available in following classes, depending upon horsepower (hp):
20 to 30 hp – About 25% of the total production of tractors in India.

31 to 40 hp – About 60% of the total production of tractors in India.

41 to above – About 15% of the total production of tractors in India.

❖ Tractor production started in India in 1961. The first tractor manufacturer “M/S Eicher
Goodearth” Produced “Eicher” tractors at Faridabad.

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❖ Average command area of a tractor (26.1 kW) is about fifteen hectares. For calculating
power availability from tractor on the farm, a weighted average of 26.1 kW power per tractor
is considered.
SELECTION OF TRACTOR:

1. LAND HOLDING: Under a single cropping pattern, it is normally recommended to consider

1 hp for every 2 hectares of land. In other words, one tractor 20 – 25 hp is suitable for 40
hectares farm.

2. CROPPING PATTERN: Generally 1.5 hectare/hp has been recommended where adequate
irrigation facilities are available and more than one crop is taken. So a 30 – 35 hp tractor is
suitable for 40 hectare farm.

POWER TILLER
For calculating power availability from power tiller on the farm, a weighted average of 7 kw
per unit is considered. Average command area of a power tiller (7.46 kw) is five hectares,
where one pair of bullock can command about two hectares only.

Selected Equipment for seedbed Preparation

S. No. NAME OF IMPLEMENT WORK CAPACITY
ha/h h/ha
Tractor operated
1. M.B Plough 0.20-0.25 4-5
0.30-0.35 3-4
2. Disc Plough 0.20-0.25 4-5
0.30-0.35 3-4
3. Disc Harrow (16 disc) 0.40-0.50 2-2.5
4. Cultivator (9-11) 0.40-0.50 2-2.5
5. Rotavator 0.2 5
6. Sweep cultivator 0.35 3-3.5

EQUIPMENT FOR THRESHING OPERATION

S. NO. NAME OF THE IMPLEMENT SIZE WORK CAPACITY

A. Power operated
1. Power operated thresher 5-10 hp 200-500
2. Paddy thresher 5-15 hp 200-1000
3. Maize thresher 5-15 hp 500-2000
4. Groundnut thresher 10-15 hp 500-1000

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Concept of Farm Mechanization

❖ The main concept of farm mechanization is to apply the principles of engineering
and technology to do the agricultural operations in a better way to increase crop
yield.
❖ This includes the development, application and management of all mechanical aids for
field operation, water control, material handling, storage and processing.
❖ Mechanical aids include:
➢ Hand tools,
➢ Animal drawn implements,
➢ Power tillers,
➢ Tractors,
➢ Engines,
➢ Electric motors,
➢ Grain processing and
➢ Hauling equipment’s.

EMERGING TRENDS IN FARM MECHANIZATION

Small engines 1 to 3 hp for handheld and knapsack power operated equipment for pruning, hedge
trimming, tree felling, cutting of bushes, tea harvesting, spraying and dusting are preferred.

CALORIFIC VALUE OF FUELS

S. NO. FUEL CAORIFIC VALUE THERMAL EFFICIENCY (%)

1. Biogas 4500 kcal/m3 60

2. Cowdung cakes 2130 kcal/kg 11

3. Petrol 11100 kcal/kg 25-32

4. Diesel 10550 kcal/kg 32-38

Sr. No Name of fuel Calorific value, kcal/kg

1 Light Diesel Oil (L.D.O) 10300
2 High speed diesel oil (HSD) 10550
3 Power kerosene 10850

CLASSIFICATION OF HEAT ENGINES

1. Based on combustion of fuel:

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External combustion engine

Internal combustion engine

a) External combustion engine-

❖ Here, the working medium, the steam, is generated in a boiler, located outside the engine
and allowed in to the cylinder to operate the piston to do mechanical work.

b) Internal combustion engine-

❖ In internal combustion engine, the combustion of fuel takes place inside the engine
cylinder and heat is generated within the cylinder.
❖ This heat is added to the air inside the cylinder and thus the pressure of the air is
increased tremendously.
❖ This high pressure air moves the piston which rotates the crank shaft and thus mechanical
work is done

2. Based on fuel used:

Diesel engine – Diesel is used as fuel

Petrol engine – Petrol is used as fuel

Gas engines – propane, butane or methane gases are used

3. Based ignition of fuel-

Spark ignition engine (Carburetor type engines)

Compression ignition engine (injector type engines)

a) Spark ignition engine – a mixture of air and fuel is drawn in to the engine cylinder.
Ignition of fuel is done by using a spark plug.

❖ The spark plug produces a spark and ignites the air- fuel mixture.

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❖ Such combustion is called constant volume combustion (C.V.C.)

b) Compression ignition engine –

❖ In compression ignition engines air is compressed in to the engine cylinder.

❖ Due to this the temperature of the compressed air rises to 700-900 oC. At this
stage diesel is sprayed in to the cylinder in fine particles.
❖ Due to a very high temperature, the fuel gets ignited. This type of combustion is
called constant pressure combustion (C.P.C.) because the pressure inside the
cylinder is almost constant when combustion is taking place.

4. Based on working cycle-

Four stroke cycle engine

Two stroke cycle engine

a) Four stroke cycle engine - When the cycle is completed in two revolutions of the
Crankshaft, it is called four stroke cycle engines.

b) Two stroke cycle engine - When the cycle is completed in one revolution of the Crankshaft,
it is called two stroke cycle engine.

Points about IC engine

❖ The end of the connecting rod connecting the piston is called small end.
❖ The other end of the connecting rod connecting the crank shaft is called big end.
❖ When piston is moved up and down, the motion is transmitted to the crank shaft by the
connecting rod and the crank shaft makes rotary motion.
❖ The crankshaft rotates in main bearings which are fitted the crankcase.
❖ A flywheel is provided at one end of the crankshaft for smoothing the uneven torque
produced by the engine.
❖ There is an oil pump at the bottom of the engine which contains lubricating oil for
lubricating different parts of the engine. The oil pressure in hydraulic pump caries from
150 to 200 kg/cm2.

As per ASAE standard pto speed is 540 ± 10 rpm when operating under load.

➢ It is estimated that a tractor engine requires to be operated at full load approximately 25 to 30

percent of the operating time. Most of the time, the engine is required to be operated between 50
to 70% of the full load.

➢ The minimum specific fuel consumption occurs at speed of 1650 rpm.

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Engine
The flow diagram for
transmission of
Main
power clutch

Transmissi
on gear

Steering
clutch

Wheels

Regarding any
machine attached Engine
to tractor

Main clutch

Tilling
Clutch

Tilling Attached to tractor or

attachment self-propelled

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COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO STROKE AND FOUR

STROKE ENGINES

No. Four stroke engine Two stroke engine

1 One power stroke for every two revolutions One power stroke for each revolution of
of the crankshaft. the crankshaft.

2 There are inlet and exhaust valves in the There are inlet and exhaust ports instead
engine. of valves.

3 Crankcase is not fully closed and air tight. Crankcase is fully closed and air tight.

4 Top of the piston compresses the charge. Both sides of the piston compress the
charge.

5 Size of the flywheel is comparatively larger. Size of the flywheel is comparatively

smaller.

6 Fuel is fully consumed. Fuel is not fully consumed.

7 Weight of engine per hp is high. Weight of engine per hp is

comparatively low.

8 Thermal efficiency is high. Thermal efficiency is comparatively

low.
9 Removal or exhaust gases easy. Removal of exhaust gases
comparatively difficult.

10 Torque produced is even. Torque produced is less even.

11 For a given weight, engine would give only For same weight, two stroke engines
half the power of two stroke engine. give twice the power that of four stroke
engine.
12 All types of speed are possible (high and Mostly high speed engines are there.
low).
13 It can be operated in one direction only. It can be operated in both directions
(clockwise and counter clockwise).

Piston rings are of two types:

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(1) Compression ring and

(2) Oil ring

➢ Oil ring: It control the distribution of lubrication oil in the cylinder and the piston.

➢ Crankshaft:
❖ It is the main shaft of an engine which converts the reciprocating motion of the piston
into rotary motion of the flywheel.
❖ Usually the crankshaft is made of drop forged steel or cast steel.

➢ Flywheel is made of cast iron.

❖ Its main functions are stores energy during power stroke and returns back the energy
during the idle strokes, providing a uniform rotary motion of flywheel, pressure surfaces
for the clutch plate and Sometime the flywheel serves the purpose of a pulley for
transmitting power.

➢ Crankcase provides a reservoir for the lubricating oil. It is a mounting unit for such
accessories as the oil pump, oil filter, starting motor and ignition components.

➢ Camshaft is a shaft which raises and lowers the inlet and exhaust valves at proper times.
❖ The speed of the camshaft is exactly half the speed of the crankshaft in four stroke
engine.
❖ Camshaft operates the ignition timing mechanism, lubricating oil pump and fuel
pump.
❖ It is mounted in the crankcase, parallel to the crankshaft.

➢ Scavenging: The process of removal of burnt or exhaust gases from the engine cylinder is
known as scavenging.

COMPARISON OF DIESEL ENGINE WITH PETROL ENGINE:

No. Diesel engine Petrol engine
1 It has got no carburetor, ignition coil and It has got carburetor, ignition coil & spark
spark plug. plug.
2 Its compression ratio varies from 14:1 to Its compression ratio varies from 5:1 to 8:1.
22:1
3 It uses diesel oil as fuel. It uses petrol (gasoline) or power kerosine as
fuel.
4 Only air is sucked in cylinder in suction Mixture of fuel and air is sucked in the
stroke. cylinder in suction stroke.

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5 It has got ‘fuel injection pump’ and It has got no fuel injection pump and injector,
injector instead it has got carburetor and ignition coil.

6 Fuel is injected in combustion chamber Air fuel mixture is compressed in the

where burning of fuel takes places due to combustion chamber when it is ignited by an
heat of compression. electric spark.
7 Thermal efficiency varies from 32 to 38% Thermal efficiency varies from 25 to 32%

8 Engine weight per horse-power is high. Engine weight per horsepower is

comparatively low.
9 Operating cost is low. Operating cost is high.
10 Compression pressure inside the cylinder Compression pressure varies from 6 to 10
varies from 35 to 45 kg/cm2 and kg/cm2 and temperature is above 260°C.
temperature is about 500°C.

➢ Tillage: the preparation of land for growing crops

➢ Tilth: Physical condition of the soil.
❖ Primary tillage: Tillage with more depth and more soil disturbance.
❖ Secondary tillage: Lighter and finer tillage operations performed in the soil after
primary tillage.
❖ Conservation tillage: 30 percent or more crop residue left after planting or any
system that maintains at least 1,120 kilogram per hectare of flat, small grain residue
equivalent on the surface throughout the critical wind erosion period is called
conservation tillage system.
❖ Conversion tillage systems are further classified as No- tillage, Ridge-tillage,
Mulch-tillage.
❖ ROTARY TILLER: Used as primary and secondary both operations, power from
the tractor engine is transmitted to the rotary tiller (rotavator) through PTO (Power
Take Off) of the tractor, operated at 180- 200 rpm
❖ PUDDLER is secondary tillage implement used in rice. Puddling is done in
standing water of 5-10 cm depth.
➢ Reduced-till: Reduced-till systems leave 15-30 percent residue cover after planting or 560
to 1,120 kilograms per hectare of small grain residue equivalent throughout the critical wind
erosion period.
➢ Conventional-till systems leave less than 15 percent residue cover after planting, or less
than 560 kilograms per hectare of small grain residue equivalent throughout the critical wind
erosion period.

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➢ Conventional tillage or clean tillage: Ploughing the entire field several times to prepare a
seed bed is called conventional tillage
➢ Conservation tillage: Ploughing the field with lesser number of passes over the entire land
or ploughing only in the required space of the land and then sowing is called conservation
tillage.
❖ Minimum Tillage, Mulch, Rotary Tillage, Strip tillage are the example of
conservation tillage. Combined Tillage:
➢ Combined Tillage: Tillage operations utilizing simultaneously two or more different types
of tillage tools or implements to simplify, control or reduce the number of operations over a
field is called combined tillage.

INDIGENOUS PLOUGH/ COUNTRY PLOUGH:

Forms V shaped furrows with 15-20 cm top width and 12-15 cm depth. Its field capacity is
around 0.4 ha per day of 8 hours.

MOULD BOARD PLOUGH:

❖ Available for animals, power tiller and tractor operation.
❖ The shares are made of chilled cast iron or steel.
❖ The steel mainly contains about 0.70 to 0.80% carbon and about 0.50 to 0.80%
manganese besides other minor elements.

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