AGR2302 Agricultural Machinery

Contents

• Staffing
• Synopsis
• Objectives
• Topics
• Reference materials
• Student workload
• Assessment details
• Important assessment information
• Assessment notes
• Production date
• PDF version

STAFFING

SYNOPSIS

Machinery is an important component of any farming system, and an understanding of its specification, operating principles and performance is essential for engineers involved in agriculture. This course examines the functional requirements of the major groups of machinery and investigates the engineering principles and subsystems which underlie their operation. It develops the knowledge and skills necessary to analyse and predict machine performance, and to advise and assist farmers in the choice and efficient operation of a wide range of machinery. It also includes discussion and analysis of recent research and developments in precision agriculture. Tractor stability, safety, testing and performance are investigated, and tillage, planting, spraying and harvesting machinery are described and analysed. Methods for the rational selection of the machinery components of a farming system are outlined. The design of machinery subsystems is described. The thermodynamics of grain drying and controlled environments are also investigated. The course uses field work with tractors and other machinery to show how the theory is related to practice.

OBJECTIVES

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. The assessment item(s) that may be used to assess student achievement of an objective are shown in parenthesis. On completion of this course, students should be able to:

1.

calculate the weight transfer, stability and performance of a tractor implement combination (Assignment 1, Exam);

2.

describe the measurement of tractor PTO and drawbar performance (Assignment 1, Exam);

3.

compare the different types of tillage implments and select the most suitable type for various purposes (Exam);

4.

compare the different types of planters and measure their performance (Exam);

5.

contrast the different types of spraying equipment (Exam);

6.

appraise the function of grain and other crop harvesters (Exam);

7.

calculate basic thermodynamic properties and describe simple thermodynamic processes (Assignment 2, Exam);

8.

calculate the performance of driers using psychrometric charts (Assignment 2, Exam);

9.

justify the rational selection of farm machinery and the economics of farming systems (Assignment 1, Exam).

TOPICS

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Booker, DB, Bakker-Arkema, FW & Hall, CW 1992, Drying and storage of grains and oilseeds, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.

Srivastava, AK, Goering, CE & Rohrbach, RP 1993, Engineering principles of agricultural machines, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Michigan.
(ISBN 0-929355-33-4)

Witney, B 1988, Choosing and using farm machines, Longman, England.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

NOTES

1.

Student Administration will advise students of the dates of their examinations during the semester.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To satisfactorily complete an assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. Students do not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to be awarded a passing grade in this course. Refer to Statement 4 below for the requirements to receive a passing grade in this course.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit assignments after the due date without extenuating circumstances then a penalty of 5% of the assigned mark may apply for each working day late up to a maximum of ten working days at which time a mark of zero can be recorded for that assignment.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of receiving a passing grade in a course a student must obtain at least 50% of the total weighted marks for the course.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks (or grades) obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
6. Examination information:
   Candidates are allowed access only to specific materials during a Restricted Examination. The only materials that candidates may use in the restricted examination for this course are: writing materials (non-electronic and free from material which could give the student an unfair advantage in the examination); calculators which cannot hold textual information (students must indicate on their examination paper the make and model of any calculator(s) they use during the examination).
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the examination period at the end of the semester of the next offering of this course.
8. University Regulations:
   Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

This version produced 28 Aug 2009.