Effect of Load and Speed on Fuel Consumption of a Rubber-Tired Skidder

ABSTRACT Arubber-tired skidder was instrumented to measure the fuel flow rate and force in the line (magnitude and direction) during an actual skidding operation. The parameters were displayed on an LED readout and recorded by a video camera on the skidder. By using a digital timer and a stop-frame mechanism on the VCR, it was possible to analyze the data at any time increment down to 1/25 of a second. The skidder was tested on a level track at varying speeds and loads to determine the fuel consumption. It was determined that the optimal strategy with regard to fuel efficiency would be to operate the skidder at the fastest safe speed and to carry the maximum load for which the skidder is designed..