Development of a towed rig for tillage studies

A low-cost data acquisition system for tillage tools was designed to measure draft, vertical force reaction, moment about the vertical axis, and depth and speed. The object was to investigate the field performance of light tillage tools intended for use with animal traction in Kenya, in a comparative and repeatable manner, and to enable the study of soil-tool interactions over a wide range of soil conditions. The system was designed to be easily transported, of low maintenance, and adaptable to tractors and other vehicles with a tow-bar. Main components of the system include a datalogger and portable computer, tensile load cell, chain driven tachogenerator and speedometer units for recording and monitoring speed respectively, a linear potentiometer for sensing depth, and a two-component octagonal ring transducer for measuring moment and vertical force reaction in the shank of the mounted tool. Draft loads of up to 10 kN, vertical force reaction up to 3 kN, moment on the tool shank up to 0.4 kNm, speed up to 2.8 m/s, and tillage depth up to 300 mm may be measured simultaneously.