AGR2302 Agricultural Machinery

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 of energy resources and uses in agriculture and 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.

Course offers