The Effect of Tire Inflation Pressure on Fuel Consumption of an Agricultural Tractor on a Paved Road

Low/correct tire inflation pressure has been recommended for use in agricultural fields to improve tractive performance and fuel economy of a tractor. However, on paved road, higher inflation pressure appears to result in better performance. To determine the effect of inflation pressure on fuel consumption during transport operations, extensive tests were conducted using a JD 7810 MFWD tractor equipped with IVT and, 710-70R38 tires in the rear and 600-65R28 tires in the front, operating at 40 km/h (25 mph) on pavements. Three different inflation pressures (62, 110, and 158 kPa) and four different levels of drawbar loads were used during the tests. The experimental plan included three replications. During each test, drawbar load, wheel speed, forward speed, total fuel consumption, and CAN bus reported fuel consumption rate were obtained using sensors and data acquisition systems. Results clearly indicate that fuel consumption rate decreased linearly as inflation pressure increased at all load levels used in this study. On an average, fuel economy in terms of distance travelled per unit fuel consumed increased by 7.3 and 11.4% respectively at 110 kPa and 158 kPa (16 and 23 psi) inflation pressures when compared to a low inflation pressure of 62 kPa (9 psi).