Study on Lateral Rollover of Traveling Tractor

—Consideration of Lateral Rollover in Tractor Cornering—

Abstract

Tractors face the risk of lateral rollover while cornering on slopes. Coping the situation is important for safety. In this study, dynamic equations were formulated for four degrees of freedom (vertical, pitching, rolling, and horizontal), while considering the centrifugal force. The centrifugal force affecting the tractor body was verified through a modeling experiment. Furthermore, tractor cornering behavior on a smooth slope was simulated. Consequently, the theoretical values and the measured values of the centrifugal force matched less than 4.0 m/s. Additionally, the cornering tractor overturned on a gentle slope (3°-8°) at approximately 4.0 m/s² centripetal acceleration. Aforementioned results indicate that to prevent overturning, even on a gentle slope, it is necessary to minimize the traveling speed.