Design and Experiment of Leveling System for Crawler-type Sugarcane Harvesters in Hilly Areas

Abstract:

Aiming at the contour-planting characteristics of sugarcane in hilly areas and the frequent occurrence of rollover accidents when tracked sugarcane harvesters operate on slopes of 2°~10°, a 1∶4 scale test platform was constructed according to similarity principles. Based on microcontroller and sensor control detection technologies, a lateral leveling system suitable for tracked sugarcane harvesters was designed. Considering the harvester’s narrow width and high center of gravity, singleside (and double-side) leveling control strategies were proposed. The system utilized hydraulic cylinders to drive synchronous extension and retraction on one side, enabling adaptive body leveling and improving the anti-rollover capacity of the sugarcane harvester. Experimental results showed that the system can efficiently level the vehicle under different load conditions, and the body leveling function was reliable. In static tests, the platform achieved lateral leveling in 1.22s with a tilt angle error within ±1°, meeting the requirements for hilly regions. Lateral critical rollover tests indicated that the critical rollover angle was increased from 24.32° (before leveling) to 29.20° (after leveling), with a maximum lateral leveling angle of 10°, effectively enhancing the machine’s resistance to rolling over. Finally, through real-time spectral analysis, changes in frequency distribution and vibration amplitude were detected, and spectral waveform diagrams under different conditions were analyzed. This laid a research foundation for modeling the dynamic behavior of harvesters in complex environments and provided a basis for rollover warning signals.