R enewable E nergy A gricultural M ultipurpose System for Farmers RAMseS (EU-FP6 Contract No 032447) Fadi Karam Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute.

Renewable Energy Agricultural Multipurpose System for FarmersRAMseS (EU-FP6 Contract No 032447)

Fadi KaramLebanese Agricultural Research InstituteDepartment of Irrigation and Agro-Meteorology(http://www.lari.gov.lb)

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Forum, 7 June 2010, Amman, Jordan

A proposed methodology to determine the minimum horsepower requirements needed for the RAMseS-MPV

(At Lebanon Test Site)

RAMseS PERT DiagramWP0

MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION

WP1SPECIFICATION AND MARKET ANALYSIS

WP2POWER SYSTEM

DESIGN AND PROTOTYOPING

WP2VEHICLE

SYSTEM DESIGN PROTOTYOPING

WP4FINAL TESTING AND

IMPACT EVALUATION

WP5DISSEMINATION

WP 4FINAL TESTING AND IMPACT EVALUATION

Objectives Installation and testing of the developed solar-power generation

system integrated to the multi-purposes vehicle at the EU test site; Transfer of the solar-power generation system integrated to the

multi-purposes vehicle and testing at the MPC test site; Analyze the mechanical and energetic efficiency of the installed

integrated systems at the MPC test site; Determine the economic impact of the project at the MPC test site; Determine the social impact of the project at the MPC test site; Determine the agricultural and environmental impact of the project

in MPC sites.

The assessment procedure

Test of the system performance;

Analyze socio-economic, agricultural and environmental effects of the project on the local rural community;

Realization of cost-effectiveness of the project results (including the reduction in the electricity and energy bills).

Can solar tractors replace the traditional diesel tractors?

Working in agriculture may bothered by the noise and smelly exhaust tractors produce;

Dealing with toxic, explosive fuel, grease, oil and the constant maintenance may also be a hassle;

Degraded air quality, climate change, and global conflict over remaining oil supplies are the results of petroleum dependence;

In addition, bigger machines and centralized corporate monoculture are causing a loss of biodiversity and traditional farming skills which threaten future food supplies and our very existence.

State of the batteries at the end of the activity

2) Mechanical performanceIs the MPV easy-to-drive?State of tire traction and riding characteristics on hard groundStability of the trail on slopes during the operationIs the braking system safe and secure? Maneuverability of the 2-Front wheelsManeuverability of the 2-Rear wheelsAverage cruising speed during the operation (km per hour)Weight of the stock transported in the trailThe mounting of agricultural fittings was The demounting of agricultural fittings was The mount-trail opens properly

3) Agricultural operation performanceNumber of field workers invloved in the activity

Estimated work hours to achieve the same activity using conventional tractor (25-30 HP)Estimated fuel consumption to achieve the same activity using conventional tractor (25-30 HP)The adaptation of the MPV to small-size plots wasThe adaptation of the MPV to narrow-spaced rows wasFor ploughing purposes: were the plough furrows straightforward?Indicate where was the tractor most utilityRank (1 to 5) the importance of the following agricultural activities executed by the MPV

Chiesel plough

4) Specific to the driverCan the MPV safely travels between fields without restrictionAny back pain problems during the operationDoes the driving cabine offer weather protection

Deep tilling Transport Weed controlFall plough Spring plough Seed bed preparation

SummerFall Winter Spring

Central openning: Frontal openning:

Yes No

Yes No

Mowing Field inspection

Yes No

Surface tilling

Time:

YES

Fair Good Excellent

YES NO

Slightly difficult Extremely difficult

Entirely cloudy

Good

Performance Evaluation Sheet

Slightly difficultEasy Extremely difficult

Type of agricultural activity:

Fair

1) Electrical performance

Fair

Easy

Time in hours that was required to achieve the activity using the MPV

Date:

State of batteries in the morning before using the vehichle Time:

Weather RainySunny Partly cloudy

Harrowing Rolling

Yes No

NO

Fair Good Excellent

Stabe Unstable

Good FairGood

RAMseS - WP4: Testing & Impact EvaluationDeliverable D4.4: Report on integrated system testing and evaluation of the

efficiency at MPC site

A suggested procedure for determining the minimum horsepower requirements needed for the MPV to implement

field operation at Lebanon Test Site

Mechanized agricultural activities with respect to the period of year, and the correspondent minimum power required and work duration

Agricultural activity Work durationJAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (HP) (kw) (hrs/ha)

Primary tilling and soil turning 84.0 62.7 6.3Deep tilling (30-60 cm) 84.0 62.7 6.3Surface tilling (10-20 cm) 65.0 48.5 4.9De-compaction 65.0 48.5 4.9Clod breaking/clearing 45.0 33.6 3.4Seed bed preparation 45.0 33.6 3.4Land levelling 65.0 48.5 4.9Harrowing 45.0 33.6 3.4Rolling 45.0 33.6 3.4Mowing 45.0 33.6 3.4Fertilisation and phytosanitary treatment 35.0 26.1 2.6Sowing and transplantation* 65.0 48.5 4.9Water transportation in the field 35.0 26.1 2.6Irrigation equipment transportation 45.0 33.6 3.4Water pumping from earth ponds 65.0 48.5 4.9Water pumping from acquifers 85.0 63.4 6.3Support and field aid techniques 25.0 18.7 1.9Winter cereals transporation to storage 65.0 48.5 4.9Potato tuber transportation to storage 65.0 48.5 4.9Summer vegetables transportation to storage** 45.0 33.6 3.4Summer cereals transportation to storage 61.0 45.5 4.6Fruit transportation to storage 61.0 45.5 4.6Grappevine transportation to brasserie 45.0 33.6 3.4Olive transportation to pressoir 35.0 26.1 2.6Land moving, dumping and loading 35.0 26.1 2.6* including drilling and hoeing** including greenhouse grown vegetables

Period of year Minimum Power required

The Procedure

Step 1. Determine the most critical field operation requiring implements with a high draft:

By determining the critical high draft tillage operation, it would become practical to the

tractor users to decide if the tractor can achieve or not the required field operation.

For example, if soil surface is hard for plowing, it would become easier in this case to disk prior to

planting than to plow (surface or deep plow).

Step 2. From past agricultural experiences, determine the available time for a given field operation.

For example, if there are 20 days of calendar time per year for primary tillage, during a season span, 5 days are

estimated to be available for field work, with 4 working hours per day (a sub-total of 20 working hours per season,

or 80 working hours per year).

This would help in accounting for the diesel consumption that a traditional PTO tractor with the same HP size of the MPV would have per year. It also helps in accounting for the savings from the

non-diesel consumption of the MPV.

Step 3. Determine the Field Capacity Needed (FCN, in ha/hour).

For example: The Monastery of Saints Sarkis & Bakhos in Achkout has a total cultivated land of 10.0 ha (100 dounoms),

mostly cropped with vineyard.If there are 20 days of calendar time per year for fall tillage, during which the average working hours per day is 4, then,

FCN is equal to:

(hours) Day per Hrs Average x (days) Days Workof Number(ha) Cover to Hectares Total

FCN

)/0.5(/5.0dayper hrs 4 x Days5

ha 10hrdnorhrhaFCN

25 is a correction factor and is equal to 10 x 2.5 (10 to convert from ha/km to m; 2.5 to convert from acres to hectares – Note 1 Hectare = 2.5 Acres)

ExampleFCN = 0.5 ha/ha and Speed during the field implement is 9 km/hr. Then:

This is acceptable since WIN < tractor size (1.5 m)

25)/(

)/()(

rKmSpeed

hrhaFCNmWIN

mxhrKm

hrhamWIN 39.125

/9

/5.0)(

Step 4: Determine the Width of Implement Needed (WIN, in m)

Step 5. Determine the Draft of Implement (DI)

Example:

If WIN = 1.39 m

Soil Resistance for a clay soil = 72.57 Kg/cm (from Table

Depth of implement = 10 cm

Then, KgcmcmKgmKgDI 98.100710/57.7239.1)(

(cm)Depth(Kg/cm)ResistanceSoil(m)WIN(Kg)DI

Step 6: Determine Drawbar Horsepower Required (DHR, in HP)

375/0.72 is a conversion factor from American Unit System (Pounds for DI and MPH for Speed) into SI Units.

Example

If DI = 1007.98 Kg

Speed = 9 Km/hr

Then,

72.0/375

)/()()(

hrkmSpeedKgDIHPDHR

HPhrKmKg

HPDHR 42.1772.0/375

)/(9)(98.1007)(

Step 7: Determine the Minimum Horsepower Required (MHR, in HP)

Soil Condition Multiply Drawbar HP by

Firm untilled soil 1.5

Previously tilled soil 1.8

Soft or sandy soil 2.1

HR (HP) = DHR (HP) x PTO HP Multiplication Factor (from Table below)ExampleIf DHR = 17.42 HP and the soil is previously tilled, the PTO HP multiplication factor is 1.8Then, DHR = 17.42 HP x 1.8 = 31.35 HPDHR > Tractor size, which is unacceptable. To compensate, increase daily working hours in this case.

Field implementation Hoeing

Preparing holes for new plantations

Courtesy, ALMEE, 2010

Field implementationHoeing

Increasing the number of workers in field activities (Lebanon Test Site, Feb-Mar 2010)

Courtesy, ALMEE, 2010

Field implementationPhyto-sanitary treatments

(late spring summer, Lebanon Test Site)

Courtesy, ALMEE, 2010

As a consequenceThere was an expansion of vineyard cultivated plots in the test site

Courtesy, ALMEE, 2010

Field implementationMowing

EU Test Site (Italy)

Courtesy, DEART, 2008

Field implementationMowing herbs and weeds in apple-grown orchards (EU Test Site, Italy)

Courtesy, DEART, 2008

Field implementsPotato sowing (EU Test Site, Poland)

Courtesy, IBMER, 2008

Promoting solar powered vehicleThe system will make agriculture farm independent from conventional sources of energy.

The system is reliable and easy in use.

Thank you