Development of A Feed Shaft Driving System Using The Fifth Wheel as a Speed Sensor

In order to maintain a constant ratio between the ground wheel and fed shaft of planters, a feedback control unit was designed to drive the feed shaft in proportional to the ground speed. The fifth wheel was used as a ground speed sensor for the control unit. Using this control unit a feed shaft driving system was developed and tested both in the laboratory and field to evaluate it performance . The test results showed that the system drove the feed shaft in proportional to the ground speed in the normal planting speed range of 0.5 -0.8m/s with an error of less than 5%.