| Semester 1, 2023 Online | |
| Units : | 1 |
| School or Department : | School of Agriculture and Environmental Science |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
| Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator:
Overview
This course examines the functional requirements of the major groups of machinery and investigates the engineering principles and subsystems which underlie their operation. It develops the knowledge and skills necessary to analyse and predict machine performance, and to advise and assist farmers in the choice and efficient operation of a wide range of machinery. It also includes discussions of alternative energy resources and uses in agriculture as well as recent applications and industry developments in automation and precision agriculture. Tractor performance and testing are investigated. Tillage, planting, spraying and harvesting machinery are described and analysed. The thermodynamics of grain drying and controlled environments are also investigated. The course uses real world data sets from both field and lab work to show how the theory is related to practice.
Course learning outcomes
On completion of this course, students should be able to:
- justify the rational selection of farm machinery and the economics of farming systems;
- understand the importance of uses of energy and renewable energy in agriculture, and their impacts on environment;
- describe the operating principles of internal combustion diesel engine;
- describe the measurement and calculations of engine PTO, and tractor drawbar performance;
- compare the different types of tillage implements and select the most suitable type for various purposes;
- compare the different types of planters and different types of spraying equipment;
- appraise the function of grain and other crop harvesters;
- describe the differences of various fans, pumps and irrigation systems;
- calculate basic thermodynamic properties and thermodynamic processes of grain drying, using psychrometric charts.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The agricultural tractor. Performance measurement and PTO and drawbar testing. Implement/tractor performance. | 25.00 |
| 2. | Mechanisation. Energy. Choice of farm machinery. Farming systems. Precision agriculture. | 15.00 |
| 3. | Principles and performance of tillage implements, planters, harvesters and spraying and irrigation equipment. | 45.00 |
| 4. | Basic thermodynamic properties and processes. Grain driers, controlled environments and psychrometric charts. | 15.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
| Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Problem Solving 1 | No | 20 | 1,2 |
| Problem Solving 2 | No | 50 | 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 |
| Problem Solving 3 | No | 30 | 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 |