Renewable Energy Agricultural Multipurpose System for FarmersRAMseS (EU-FP6 Contract No 032447)
Fadi KaramLebanese Agricultural Research InstituteDepartment of Irrigation and Agro-Meteorology(http://www.lari.gov.lb)
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Forum, 7 June 2010, Amman, Jordan
A proposed methodology to determine the minimum horsepower requirements needed for the RAMseS-MPV
(At Lebanon Test Site)
RAMseS PERT DiagramWP0
MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION
WP1SPECIFICATION AND MARKET ANALYSIS
WP2POWER SYSTEM
DESIGN AND PROTOTYOPING
WP2VEHICLE
SYSTEM DESIGN PROTOTYOPING
WP4FINAL TESTING AND
IMPACT EVALUATION
WP5DISSEMINATION
WP 4FINAL TESTING AND IMPACT EVALUATION
Objectives Installation and testing of the developed solar-power generation
system integrated to the multi-purposes vehicle at the EU test site; Transfer of the solar-power generation system integrated to the
multi-purposes vehicle and testing at the MPC test site; Analyze the mechanical and energetic efficiency of the installed
integrated systems at the MPC test site; Determine the economic impact of the project at the MPC test site; Determine the social impact of the project at the MPC test site; Determine the agricultural and environmental impact of the project
in MPC sites.
The assessment procedure
Test of the system performance;
Analyze socio-economic, agricultural and environmental effects of the project on the local rural community;
Realization of cost-effectiveness of the project results (including the reduction in the electricity and energy bills).
Can solar tractors replace the traditional diesel tractors?
Working in agriculture may bothered by the noise and smelly exhaust tractors produce;
Dealing with toxic, explosive fuel, grease, oil and the constant maintenance may also be a hassle;
Degraded air quality, climate change, and global conflict over remaining oil supplies are the results of petroleum dependence;
In addition, bigger machines and centralized corporate monoculture are causing a loss of biodiversity and traditional farming skills which threaten future food supplies and our very existence.
State of the batteries at the end of the activity
2) Mechanical performanceIs the MPV easy-to-drive?State of tire traction and riding characteristics on hard groundStability of the trail on slopes during the operationIs the braking system safe and secure? Maneuverability of the 2-Front wheelsManeuverability of the 2-Rear wheelsAverage cruising speed during the operation (km per hour)Weight of the stock transported in the trailThe mounting of agricultural fittings was The demounting of agricultural fittings was The mount-trail opens properly
3) Agricultural operation performanceNumber of field workers invloved in the activity
Estimated work hours to achieve the same activity using conventional tractor (25-30 HP)Estimated fuel consumption to achieve the same activity using conventional tractor (25-30 HP)The adaptation of the MPV to small-size plots wasThe adaptation of the MPV to narrow-spaced rows wasFor ploughing purposes: were the plough furrows straightforward?Indicate where was the tractor most utilityRank (1 to 5) the importance of the following agricultural activities executed by the MPV
Chiesel plough
4) Specific to the driverCan the MPV safely travels between fields without restrictionAny back pain problems during the operationDoes the driving cabine offer weather protection
Deep tilling Transport Weed controlFall plough Spring plough Seed bed preparation
SummerFall Winter Spring
Central openning: Frontal openning:
Yes No
Yes No
Mowing Field inspection
Yes No
Surface tilling
Time:
YES
Fair Good Excellent
YES NO
Slightly difficult Extremely difficult
Entirely cloudy
Good
Performance Evaluation Sheet
Slightly difficultEasy Extremely difficult
Type of agricultural activity:
Fair
1) Electrical performance
Fair
Easy
Time in hours that was required to achieve the activity using the MPV
Date:
State of batteries in the morning before using the vehichle Time:
Weather RainySunny Partly cloudy
Harrowing Rolling
Yes No
NO
Fair Good Excellent
Stabe Unstable
Good FairGood
RAMseS - WP4: Testing & Impact EvaluationDeliverable D4.4: Report on integrated system testing and evaluation of the
efficiency at MPC site
A suggested procedure for determining the minimum horsepower requirements needed for the MPV to implement
field operation at Lebanon Test Site
Mechanized agricultural activities with respect to the period of year, and the correspondent minimum power required and work duration
Agricultural activity Work durationJAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (HP) (kw) (hrs/ha)
Primary tilling and soil turning 84.0 62.7 6.3Deep tilling (30-60 cm) 84.0 62.7 6.3Surface tilling (10-20 cm) 65.0 48.5 4.9De-compaction 65.0 48.5 4.9Clod breaking/clearing 45.0 33.6 3.4Seed bed preparation 45.0 33.6 3.4Land levelling 65.0 48.5 4.9Harrowing 45.0 33.6 3.4Rolling 45.0 33.6 3.4Mowing 45.0 33.6 3.4Fertilisation and phytosanitary treatment 35.0 26.1 2.6Sowing and transplantation* 65.0 48.5 4.9Water transportation in the field 35.0 26.1 2.6Irrigation equipment transportation 45.0 33.6 3.4Water pumping from earth ponds 65.0 48.5 4.9Water pumping from acquifers 85.0 63.4 6.3Support and field aid techniques 25.0 18.7 1.9Winter cereals transporation to storage 65.0 48.5 4.9Potato tuber transportation to storage 65.0 48.5 4.9Summer vegetables transportation to storage** 45.0 33.6 3.4Summer cereals transportation to storage 61.0 45.5 4.6Fruit transportation to storage 61.0 45.5 4.6Grappevine transportation to brasserie 45.0 33.6 3.4Olive transportation to pressoir 35.0 26.1 2.6Land moving, dumping and loading 35.0 26.1 2.6* including drilling and hoeing** including greenhouse grown vegetables
Period of year Minimum Power required
The Procedure
Step 1. Determine the most critical field operation requiring implements with a high draft:
By determining the critical high draft tillage operation, it would become practical to the
tractor users to decide if the tractor can achieve or not the required field operation.
For example, if soil surface is hard for plowing, it would become easier in this case to disk prior to
planting than to plow (surface or deep plow).
Step 2. From past agricultural experiences, determine the available time for a given field operation.
For example, if there are 20 days of calendar time per year for primary tillage, during a season span, 5 days are
estimated to be available for field work, with 4 working hours per day (a sub-total of 20 working hours per season,
or 80 working hours per year).
This would help in accounting for the diesel consumption that a traditional PTO tractor with the same HP size of the MPV would have per year. It also helps in accounting for the savings from the
non-diesel consumption of the MPV.
Step 3. Determine the Field Capacity Needed (FCN, in ha/hour).
For example: The Monastery of Saints Sarkis & Bakhos in Achkout has a total cultivated land of 10.0 ha (100 dounoms),
mostly cropped with vineyard.If there are 20 days of calendar time per year for fall tillage, during which the average working hours per day is 4, then,
FCN is equal to:
(hours) Day per Hrs Average x (days) Days Workof Number(ha) Cover to Hectares Total
FCN
)/0.5(/5.0dayper hrs 4 x Days5
ha 10hrdnorhrhaFCN
25 is a correction factor and is equal to 10 x 2.5 (10 to convert from ha/km to m; 2.5 to convert from acres to hectares – Note 1 Hectare = 2.5 Acres)
ExampleFCN = 0.5 ha/ha and Speed during the field implement is 9 km/hr. Then:
This is acceptable since WIN < tractor size (1.5 m)
25)/(
)/()(
rKmSpeed
hrhaFCNmWIN
mxhrKm
hrhamWIN 39.125
/9
/5.0)(
Step 4: Determine the Width of Implement Needed (WIN, in m)
Step 5. Determine the Draft of Implement (DI)
Example:
If WIN = 1.39 m
Soil Resistance for a clay soil = 72.57 Kg/cm (from Table
Depth of implement = 10 cm
Then, KgcmcmKgmKgDI 98.100710/57.7239.1)(
(cm)Depth(Kg/cm)ResistanceSoil(m)WIN(Kg)DI
Step 6: Determine Drawbar Horsepower Required (DHR, in HP)
375/0.72 is a conversion factor from American Unit System (Pounds for DI and MPH for Speed) into SI Units.
Example
If DI = 1007.98 Kg
Speed = 9 Km/hr
Then,
72.0/375
)/()()(
hrkmSpeedKgDIHPDHR
HPhrKmKg
HPDHR 42.1772.0/375
)/(9)(98.1007)(
Step 7: Determine the Minimum Horsepower Required (MHR, in HP)
Soil Condition Multiply Drawbar HP by
Firm untilled soil 1.5
Previously tilled soil 1.8
Soft or sandy soil 2.1
HR (HP) = DHR (HP) x PTO HP Multiplication Factor (from Table below)ExampleIf DHR = 17.42 HP and the soil is previously tilled, the PTO HP multiplication factor is 1.8Then, DHR = 17.42 HP x 1.8 = 31.35 HPDHR > Tractor size, which is unacceptable. To compensate, increase daily working hours in this case.
Field implementation Hoeing
Preparing holes for new plantations
Courtesy, ALMEE, 2010
Field implementationHoeing
Increasing the number of workers in field activities (Lebanon Test Site, Feb-Mar 2010)
Courtesy, ALMEE, 2010
Field implementationPhyto-sanitary treatments
(late spring summer, Lebanon Test Site)
Courtesy, ALMEE, 2010
As a consequenceThere was an expansion of vineyard cultivated plots in the test site
Courtesy, ALMEE, 2010
Field implementationMowing
EU Test Site (Italy)
Courtesy, DEART, 2008
Field implementationMowing herbs and weeds in apple-grown orchards (EU Test Site, Italy)
Courtesy, DEART, 2008
Field implementsPotato sowing (EU Test Site, Poland)
Courtesy, IBMER, 2008
Promoting solar powered vehicleThe system will make agriculture farm independent from conventional sources of energy.
The system is reliable and easy in use.
Thank you