MACHINES
Simulation tests of the braking process of an agricultural tractor
The agricultural industry is growing very quickly. Large areas of fields make tractors work at higher speeds, with which they also move on public roads. Except acceleration, the agricultural tractor must also be stopped. There are emergency situations on the roads that require sudden braking, and therefore a quick stop of the vehicle. Drum brakes are used in most farm tractors. They contain a friction pair (shoes and drum) which as a result of cooperation changes the kinetic energy of the motion into thermal energy. Unfortunately, this crates huge amount of this energy. This can cause overheating of the friction lining, which can lead to permanent damage. This paper presents the results of simulation tests of the heating process during single emergency braking. It has been shown that in some situations the temperature can reach a higher value than that which is safe for friction material components.