Energies, Vol. 12, Pages 1100: Strength Analysis of a PTO (Power Take-Off) Gear-Train of a Multi-Purpose Cultivator during a Rotary Ditching Operation (Energies)

Optimal design of transmission gears is important to ensure product durability and reliability. This study measured a multi-purpose cultivator during a rotary ditching operation and analyzed the strength of the power take off (PTO) gear-train for the cultivator using analysis software (KISSsoft, KISSsoft AG—A Gleason Company, Bubikon, Switzerland) based on ISO 6336 standards and a modified Miner’s rule. A load measurement system was installed on the cultivator to measure the load on the PTO shaft. To measure the load on the PTO shaft, the load measuring system consisting of a data acquisition board (NI USB-6212, National Instruments, Austin, TX, USA) and a torque sensor was installed on the cultivator. Rotary ditching operations were conducted at two ground speeds and two PTO rotational speeds on a field with the same soil conditions. The measured load data were constructed using the rainflow-counting algorithm and the Smith-Watson-Topper equation. When the ground speed or PTO rotational speed increased, the average and maximum PTO torque increased significantly. The average measured torque ratio to rated torque of the PTO input shaft (19.6 Nm) was in the range of 50.1–105.9%. The simulation results using the actual measurement load indicated that the strength of the PTO gear-train tended to decrease with higher transmission gear stage and lower PTO gear stage except for the G2 and G3 gears. The simulation results of the safety factor for contact stress were lower than the minimum safety factor of ‘1.0’ at the T2P1 gear stage (G4 and G2). The simulation results of the fatigue life analysis showed fatigue life of less than service life (1000 h) at T2P2 (G2) and T2P1 (G2, G3, and G4). The simulation results indicate that there is a possibility of gear failure before service life at the T2P1 (G2, G3, and G4) and T2P2 (G2). It is known that the weak parts (G2, G3, and G4) should be the focus of design optimization through gear strength simulation to meet upward of a 1.0 safety factor and service life.