Wheel slip measurement in 2WD tractor

A microcontroller-based slip sensor was developed for a 2WD tractor to indicate slip values during on-farm use. The ‘zero condition’ considered for the development of slip sensor was – tractor supplied with a driving torque to propel any device across a tarmacadam surface while delivering zero net traction (self-propelled condition). This sensor comprised of four components: power supply; sensing of throttle position, gear position, and wheel rpm; processing of collected data; and display unit. Power was taken from the tractor battery. Rotary potentiometer and proximity switches were installed on the tractor to measure throttle position and wheel revolution, respectively. The performance of developed slip sensor was evaluated both on tarmacadam surface as well as in the field. The variations between indicated and actual slip were found to be within 0–5% for both the surfaces, thus indicating the accuracy of slip measurement by the developed slip sensor.