Engineering, Soil & Water Management
The specialised discipline of Agricultural Engineering is often overlooked in the discussions around ensuring future food security. Provision of good engineers is of great importance to the technical development of equipment and machinery. Soil science and mechanics will also play an important role in the advancement of technology, with possible reductions in energy usage offering potential environmental benefits. Water management, including irrigation, drainage, pollution and impact on wildlife is also an important consideration, particularly with the increased incidence of flooding seen in the UK in recent years.
The Harper Adams Engineering Department has excellent links with the major global manufacturers of agricultural equipment. The specialist facilities available, such as an undercover soil hall, along with multi-disciplinary engineering expertise make the Department an ideal location for research, development and testing projects.
Measuring, Modelling & Understanding Tractive Efficiency
A research project is underway at Harper Adams to improve the understanding of Torque and Power distribution in real operating conditions. Click here to read an introduction to some of the concepts behind this innovative project and click here to read a report on the initial results. Both reports are available from Openfields, the landbased library online. You can also contact the author, Ianto Guy.
Minimising Whole Body Vibration
Control of Whole Body Vibration (WBV), a common agricultural and construction industry occupational hazard, is a legal requirement. Reductions in exposure to WBV can also lead to improvements in efficiency. A Harper Adams Engineering student project has shown that simple and cost effective changes to vehicle seating can significantly reduce WBV exposure and increase the amount of time that an operator can spend using a site dumper truck in a standard shift. Click here to read a project report in Openfields, the landbased library online. You can also contact the author, Tom Underhill.