An Experimental Heat Transfer Analysis of Summer Cooling Requirements for Tractor Cabs in South Dakota

The past decade has brought many changes to the farmers of the Great Plains. Fewer people are engaged in agricultural production, and the average farm size continues to grow. Today\u27s farmers are buying bigger tractors, many of which have cabs to minimize effects of increased noise pollution, dust, and temperature extremes. Since these cabs were designed to serve as protection from noise and the elements, they must be relatively tight. During hot summer weather the enclosure will become unbearably hot. For this reason, an adequate air conditioning system is almost a necessity. Modern tractor cab air conditioning allows the operator to control his summer work environment. Benefits from this controlled cab environment include increased efficiency and reduced accident and fatigue levels. A comfortable air-conditioned cab during hot summer operation will also be more conducive to obtaining and keeping farm help. A satisfactory air conditioning system must maintain a comfortable environment even under the most severe conditions. However, from an economical viewpoint the best air conditioning system requires the least amount of energy or tractor horsepower to operate. Increased recirculation rates and lower air flow rates should help to lessen power requirements. Therefore, a smaller air conditioning unit that provides sufficient capacity to maintain operator comfort will be more economical than a larger over-sized unit. To develop the optimum size air conditioning unit for a given set of conditions, heat loads or cooling requirements must be established