Choosing the Right Central Tire Inflation System Can Increase Crop Yields with Reduced Compaction

Choosing the RIGHT CENTRAL TIRE INFLATION SYSTEM Can Increase Crop Yields with

REDUCED COMPACTION

by Chris Pollack, Parker

As farm machinery has increased in size, tire volume has also increased, but the overall footprint of the tires has not increased proportionally. As the load on each wheel increases, tires must be inflated to higher pressures to operate safely on the road. However, pressures over 15 psi may damage the soil.

Compacted soil creates unwanted consequences: It more easily blows or washes away and can impede root growth and nutrient uptake. To increase crop yields, while improving fuel efficiency and tire life, tire pressures in field equipment must be lowered. The right central tire inflation system (CTIS) makes this possible with little or no operator intervention.

A CTIS is electronically controlled and designed to offer improved productivity for agricultural vehicles. Many systems offer extended tire pressure ranges and allow for the autonomous lowering of pressures to create a larger tire footprint. This distributes the load, which reduces soil compaction, rutting, wheel slip and operator fatigue.

Most CTISs include a wheel valve to fill and exhaust air, a pneumatic control unit for the valves, an electronic control unit that communicates with other components and a human machine interface that displays the terrain and the CTIS’s response to changes.

Evolving CTIS Technologies

Farmers have long understood how compacted soil negatively impacts yields. Early on, they manually deflated their tires when entering the field. This manual approach was time consuming and resulted in inconsistent field results and damaged tires.

Early CTIS generations that eliminated manual tire pressure adjustments were created for the military. The military was not concerned about soil compaction but needed improved mobility in different terrains. However, military applications required higher pressures—around 80 psi to 100 psi. Tractor tires operate at 40 psi to 60 psi or less when on the road.

As farming technology has evolved, autonomous vehicles and smarter controls use features like GPS and moisture sensing to adjust tire pressures to specific terrains with little intervention.

PARKER

Some CTISs can deflate tire pressures significantly lower than others while operating reliably across a wide range of temperatures and altitudes.

A LONG WAY TOGETHER

PARKER

Autonomous vehicles and smarter controls use features like GPS and moisture sensing to adjust tire pressures.

Considerations When Choosing the Right CTIS

Choosing the option that’s ideal for the application is based on these factors: • Does the product offerings cover the full agricultural portfolio? • The benefits of a CTIS are no only for tractors. A CTIS should be used with any farm equipment. The product portfolio must handle all end-user needs. • Does the system reach extremely low pressures? • Select a versatility system. • How quickly can the tire be deflated? • Farmers cannot afford to sit and wait for tires to reach optimal levels. The CTIS must immediately adapt to accommodate a new surface by deflating or inflating quickly. • How easy is maintenance? • Downtime is expensive. Ensure that ports/connections can be easily accessed and quickly repaired. • What is the system’s level of fault tolerance? How well will the system work even if not everything is functioning properly? • Consider how well the system performs if all components are not operating optimally. • What type of diagnostic tools are provided? • Make sure it comes with easy-to-use, easily accessible instructions and tools for fast diagnoses and repairs. • Where are the vents located for exhausting air? • Some options have vents near the wheel for exhausting air, which may allow contamination. A remote vent located closer to the pneumatic controller may help minimize damage from dirt, water and other contaminants.

Benefits of the Right CTIS Solution

The right CTIS may help increase crop yields and has these benefits: • Longer tire life • Reduced downtime • Improved equipment performance • Less vibration • Fuel cost savings

Chris Pollack is a senior project engineer with Parker.

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