Design and Evaluation of Low-Cost Vibration-Based Machine Monitoring System for Hay Rotary Tedder.

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Agricultural Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Vibration monitoring using accelerometers is crucial for assessing machine health.
• Agricultural machinery, like rotary tedders, requires reliable condition monitoring to ensure durability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a low-cost vibration monitoring system for agricultural machines.
• To improve the durability and performance of machinery through effective health monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a low-cost electronic prototype using an AVR microcontroller (ATmega128) and accelerometer sensors.
• Calibration and experimental testing of the system using sinusoidal and multisinusoidal excitations in a laboratory test rig.
• Field testing on a rotary tedder, measuring acceleration at key points (gearbox, drive shaft bearing, main frame) and analyzing vibration parameters (RMS, kurtosis, crest factor).

Main Results:

• The developed system demonstrated an amplitude characteristic within 15% of a commercial product (AVM4000) across a 10 Hz-10 kHz frequency range.
• Static characteristics of sensors were presented, and the system was calibrated effectively.
• Experimental tests on a rotary tedder provided valuable data on shaft vibrations and bearing condition, correlating with drive shaft speed.

Conclusions:

• The low-cost vibration monitoring system is a viable solution for assessing the health of agricultural machinery.
• The system's performance is comparable to commercial products, offering a cost-effective alternative.
• The collected vibration data, including RMS, kurtosis, and crest factor, can be used to ascertain bearing condition and predict maintenance needs.