Development of spoke structure for agricultural non-pneumatic tire based on the decrease in soil compaction

Abstract

Pneumatic tires are unsuitable for agricultural machinery due to their susceptibility to punctures from stumps in plantations. To address this, non-pneumatic tires (NPTs) were developed. This study experimented with and simulated the Michelin TWEEL NPT on sandy clay loam soil. An integrated method combining the finite element method and an empirical model was used to simulate NPT-soil compaction. A custom tire-soil compaction machine measured soil sinkage, aligning well with the experimental data. A novel arrow-shaped spoke for agricultural NPTs, made from polyurethane, significantly reduced soil compaction. Future work will involve prototyping and manufacturing this innovative agricultural NPT.