Traction class 10 crawler tractor aggregation in peat field development technologies

This article discusses the integration of a 10 daN traction-class tracked swamp-going tractor with bulldozer and stump-pulling attachments for surface-layer peat and wood waste extraction. The use of combined units by small peat mining companies with a peat production volume of approximately 50,000 m³ allows for increased equipment productivity, reduced capital and operating costs, and a reduction in metal consumption. Using a combined unit based on a standard tracked swamp-going tractor with interchangeable attachments offers several advantages over a trailer-mounted unit. This unit offers greater maneuverability on work sites, reduced fuel consumption due to the combination of process operations, and lower metal consumption due to the interchangeable attachments. An analysis of the combined unit’s efficient operation is conducted taking into account the limiting conditions of movement on soft soils within the permissible operating ranges, determined by the size and mass characteristics and physical and mechanical properties of the peat deposit, peat raw material, and wood inclusions. An analysis of the main factors influencing the bulldozer unit’s performance is provided. The results of this study can be used for updating and technically upgrading the machinery fleets of small peat companies.

Zhigulskaya A. I. Traction class 10 crawler tractor aggregation in peat field development technologies. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2025;(12-3):37—48. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2025_123_0_37.

Zhigulskaya A. I., Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Associate Professor, Department of Technological Machines and Equipment; ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4350-7314, e-mail: 9051963@gmail.com, Tver State Technical University, 22, Nab. Afanasia Nikitina, Tver, Russia, 170026.

A. I. Zhigulskaya, e-mail: 9051963@gmail.com

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