Paddy Soil Compaction Effect Undergoing Multi-Dimensional Dynamic Load of Combine Harvester Crawler

The compaction of soil by agricultural machinery has seriously affected the sustainable development of agriculture. Tracked combine harvesters are widely used around the world; however, frequent rolling causes irreversible compaction of the soil. In this study, a tracked combine harvester traveling test was carried out in order to clarify the mechanism and influence of tracked combine harvester on soil compaction. The effects of multiple rolling on soil compaction at a depth of 0–30 cm were studied when the body traveled at speeds of 0.27 m/s, 0.48 m/s, and 0.95 m/s. The results showed that the dynamic load of the harvester on the soil compaction could penetrate into the soil at least 30 cm, and a non-linear relationship between the soil pressure and the depth was obtained. The peak pressure on the soil was 3.14 to 4.19 times higher than the average pressure, and the response to dynamic load fluctuated significantly in the soil. The self-excited vibration of the combine harvester formed a beating phenomenon in the soil, and the vibration signal was very penetrating in the paddy soil.