Abstract:Aiming to address the health risks posed by excessive low-frequency vibrations during electric micro-tillers’ operation in hilly regions in South China, a design methodology for a parallel nonlinear vibration isolation system was proposed based on the quasi-zero stiffness principle. Firstly, the system achieved high static stiffness and low dynamic stiffness through parallel coupling of a negative stiffness mechanism with linear springs. Key design parameters, including the initial deflection q0, initial tilt angle θ (0°~26.6°), and stiffness ratio λ of the negative stiffness structure were established. Secondly, a static model of the isolation system was established to analyze its high-static-low-dynamic stiffness characteristics. Finally, vibration test bench experiments validated the system performance. To design and verify the isolation structure’s performance, the vibration characteristics of a micro-tiller were tested in the field. Results indicated that during high-speed operation, vibration intensity and amplitude progressively increased from the cutter bar through the chassis connection point to the handlebar, with vibration intensities in the X, Y, and Z directions increasing from 4.14 m/s2, 4.95 m/s2, and 5.56 m/s2 to 6.14 m/s2, 7.16 m/s2, and 8.48 m/s2, respectively. The Z-direction vibration intensity at the handlebar was the highest under all operating conditions. Static tests revealed a maximum force deviation of 2.349 N during loading/unloading paths, accounting for 14.68% of the theoretical value. Vibration test results demonstrated an 82% reduction in transmission rate for the quasi-zero stiffness isolation system within the tested excitation range of 1.5 Hz to 12 Hz. The handle vibration isolation system designed exhibited outstanding low-frequency isolation performance, providing technical support for vibration reduction design and ergonomic optimization in electric agricultural machinery.