Energy Efficiency and Tillage Quality Performance of PTO-Powered Rotary Tillage Tools with Elliptical Cutting Blades
Amantayev M. Ding Y. Zhang W. Qi B. Wang Y. Zhang H.
September 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
AgriEngineering
2025#7Issue 9
Soil treatment is one of the most energy-intensive agricultural processes. While power take-off (PTO)-powered rotary tillage tools are widely used due to their operational advantages, their energy efficiency requires enhancement. A new PTO-powered rotary tillage tool was designed, with cutting blades inclined at angle β to prevent soil mass accumulation due to soil sliding along the blades, thereby enhancing energy efficiency and tillage quality. A kinematic model was developed to analyze the tool’s motion trajectories. Theoretical analysis substantiated the optimal inclination angle β = 38–42° and elliptical-profile edge configuration of the cutting blades. During field experiments for performance evaluation, the angle of attack was in the range 20° < α < 40°, and the kinematic coefficient varied in the range 1.0 < η < 1.21 in 0.07 increments. Results demonstrated that draught force and torque reduced by 1.3–1.5 and 1.1–1.4 times, respectively, with an increasing kinematic coefficient. Minimal specific total power requirements of 4.5–4.7 kW/m were obtained at the optimal kinematic coefficient, η = 1.14–1.21, and angle of attack, α = 40°. Compared to base ring tillage discs, the new design reduces total power requirements by 14–16%. Furthermore, it provides required tillage quality: soil pulverization ≥ 80%, weed cutting ≥ 97%, crop residue retention ≥ 60%, and roughness of the field soil surface ≤ 3 cm.
cutting blade , energy efficiency , kinematic model , PTO-powered tillage tool , rotary tillage tool , tillage quality
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Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing, 210014, China
Department of Agrarian Machinery and Transportation, Akhmet Baitursynuly Kostanay Regional University, Kostanay, 110000, Kazakhstan
Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization
Department of Agrarian Machinery and Transportation
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