Analysis of the load of a transplanter PTO shaft based on the planting distance

The purpose of this study was to analyze the load of a transplanter PTO shaft during transplanting operations with respect to planting distances. To measure the loads on the PTO shaft of a transplanter, a load measurement system was constructed using a torque sensor and an embedded system. Field experiments were conducted at planting distances of 26,35,43, and 80 cm in a field with similar soil conditions. The load measured was converted from the time domain to the frequency domain using the rain-flow counting and SWT methods. The damage level of the transplanter to the working load with respect to the planting distance was calculated using Miner's rule, and the damage level was represented by ratio of the damage sum to the smallest damage sum among the planting distances. The damage level was increased by 199,493, and 708% when the planting distance gradually decreased from 80 to 43,35, and 26 cm, respectively. The results show that a shorter planting distance has a stronger effect on the transplanter PTO shaft than a longer planting distance. Therefore, it is known that transplanter PTO shafts should be designed while considering working loads with respect to planting distance.