HIGHLIGHTS Rollovers are the leading cause of injury and fatality in farm all-terrain vehicle (ATV) incidents. Engineering technologies to prevent rollovers or protect the operator in ATV crashes were reviewed in this study. The advances in safety for ATVs are correlated with improvements in stability, handling, and crashworthiness. Operator protection devices and crash notification systems can protect the operator in ATV rollover incidents. ABSTRACT. All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are the second most common source of injury, following tractors, in U.S. agriculture. Rollovers are the leading cause of death in farm ATV incidents, constituting about 85% of ATV-related deaths. There is neither a significant practical solution for ATV rollover crashes in the U.S. nor standards and rules for implementing such a solution. Behavior-based control methods have been used for several decades but have reached their limit of success. Hence, engineering controls are needed to significantly decrease the severity of injuries in ATV rollover incidents (as in tractor incidents). In this study, engineering technologies to protect the operator in agricultural ATV crashes were reviewed. The discussion includes improving crash testing and stability ratings, evaluating static stability of ATVs, dynamic handling tests of ATVs, using automatic systems to notify first responders of a crash, and testing and applying operator protection devices. The available standards, rules, and recommendations related to these technologies around the world are also discussed.

Boat-mounted, georeferenced videos were used to develop a method to rapidly document streambank conditions and assess erosion susceptibility over long stream segments. Traditional streambank survey methods are often spatially-limited, time-consuming, and expensive.  A novel Streambank Video Mapping System (SVMS) comprised of a GPS receiver, two streambank-facing video cameras, and thalweg depth sensor gathered continuous georeferenced data on both streambanks in a single pass. A modification of the commonly applied Bank Erosion Hazard Index was used to classify streambank conditions. The modified index, named the Bank Erosion Susceptibility Index (BESI), was derived from a combination of the variables including bank angle, bank height, bankfull height, channel depth, bank surface protection, and riparian diversity. These variables were combined into a four-parameter model to estimate bank erosion susceptibility. Using the SVMS, two stream segments in Tennessee were surveyed. In 1.33 hours, 7.7 km of the New River and in 1.08 hours, 7.6 km of Beaver Creek were surveyed for an average collection rate of 6.3 km/h.  Maps of streambank erosion susceptibility were developed and the streambank health of the two stream reaches were compared. For each streambank, variables were visually classified from the georeferenced video by five independent observers. To assess the accuracy of the SVMS approach site field measurements were physically collected and compared to the video assessments with average errors less than 5 percent.

All-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes are one of the leading causes of death and injury in agriculture across the United States. Use of ATVs is highly prevalent in rural areas and has seen an increase in their application for a variety of agricultural work tasks. Empirical research on the use of these vehicles for agricultural tasks and associated injuries is limited, especially in the United States. Moreover, little is known about the risk factors associated with ATV-related injuries while doing farm work. A comprehensive review was conducted to evaluate the current injury burden of ATV use in agriculture, the need for future research, and possible solutions related to agricultural ATV safety. Potential injury prevention approaches are evaluated based on the hierarchy of control, including elimination or substitution (using side-by-side vehicles instead of ATVs or modifying ATV design), engineering control (operator protection devices), administrative authority (regulations and standards in the United States and around the world), training, and use of personal protective equipment. In addition, vehicle nomenclature, risk factors, and crash mechanisms are reviewed. Recommendations to decrease the likelihood of ATV crashes and injuries are provided.

Abstract. As a response to the rising demand for local food, high tunnels (HTs) can help small producers become more profitable through crop protection and extension of the growing season. Proper ventilation that responds to changes in outside weather conditions can remove excess heat and humidity inside HTs and lead to better solar energy utilization while maintaining a favorable growth environment. Rather than depending on complex mathematical models, this study investigated an artificial neural network (ANN) for predicting the inside air temperature and ventilation rate of a HT. Energy balance calculations and measured values were compared to the ANN. Results showed that the average air temperature from an array of 15 thermistors inside the HT was predicted more accurately in terms of mean square error (MSE = 1.7°C2) and mean absolute error (MAE = 1.0°C) than a single inside temperature at the center of the HT (MSE = 17.7°C2, MAE = 3.3°C). Relative humidity and wind direction had the least significant impacts on the prediction of inside air temperature, and only four outside weather inputs were found to have significant impacts on the prediction of inside temperature: outside air temperature, door opening level, solar radiation, and wind speed. Moreover, the optimal ANN structure was determined as 29, 25, and 13 neurons in a single hidden layer and 30 neurons in two hidden layers for prediction of inside air temperature, ventilation rate based on measurement, door opening level, and ventilation rate based on modeling, respectively. Keywords: Air temperature control, Artificial neural network, High tunnel, Ventilation.

A three-year experiment evaluated the beneficial effects of independent and combined practices on thermal conditions inside high tunnels (HTs), and further investigated the temperature impacts on lettuce production. Specific practices included mulching (polyethylene and biodegradable plastic films, and vegetative), row covers, cover crops, and irrigation with collected rainwater or city water. The study conducted in eastern Tennessee was a randomized complete block split-split plot design (RCBD) with three HTs used as replicates to determine fall lettuce weight (g/plant) and lettuce survival (#/plot), and the changes in soil and air temperature. The black and clear plastic mulches worked best for increasing plant weight, but when compared to the bare ground, the higher soil temperature from the plastics may have caused a significant reduction in lettuce plants per plot. Moreover, the biodegradable mulch did not generate as much soil warming as black polyethylene, yet total lettuce marketable yield was statistically similar to that for the latter mulch treatment; while the white spunbond reduced plant weight when compared with black plastic. Also, row covers provided an increased nighttime air temperature that increased soil temperature, hence significantly increased lettuce production. Cover crops reduced lettuce yield, but increased soil temperatures. Additionally, irrigation using city water warmed the soil and provided more nutrients for increased lettuce production over rainwater irrigation.

ATV accidents are the second most common injury source in US agriculture. The rollover accident is the leading cause of death in agricultural ATV accidents. A properly designed and installed Crush Protection Device (CPD) can potentially decrease the operator‘s injuries in the rollover accident. A CPD is a passive control that is independent of the action of the potential injury victim and protects the operator by providing a crush protection zone (CPZ) under the overturned vehicle. No study has measured the volume of CPZ for different designs of ATV and CPD. In this study, the shape and volume of rear and side CPZ of three designs of CPD (Quadbar, Lifeguard, and Air-Quad) installed on 13 models of ATV were measured. Results of this study showed that the installation of a CPD protects operator by increasing the CPZ volume compared to the baseline ATV in the event of a rollover accident. The AIR-Quad, Quadbar, and Lifeguard increase the rear CPZ volume with an average of 0.48 m3 (111% increase), 0.39 m3 (92% increase), and 0.15 m3 (35% increase), respectively, compared to the average CPZ of a baseline ATV which is 0.44 m3. Also, a CPD protects the operator by increasing the distance between the seat reference point and the ground surface, during a rollover accident.

The numbers of agricultural tractor rollover fatalities occurring with foldable rollover protective structures (FROPS) in their lowered position are significant. Raising and lowering the FROPS is a time consuming and strenuous process, and operators often leave the FROPS in the folded-down position providing no protection during a rollover. The purpose of this project is to design, manufacture, and test a lift-assist mechanism to raise and lower the FROPS from the operator's seat. The lift-assist design is based on the FROPS actuation forces, FROPS and tractor dimensions, and ergonomics engineering standards [SAE J898/ISO 6682 and SAE J1814]. The design considered can be retrofitted and will not modify or compromise the FROPS structure. A universal lift-assist lever design has been constructed and successfully tested for three FROPS of different sizes meeting appropriate ergonomics engineering standards. The operator actuation forces were less than the 75 N allowable maximum, and within the zones of comfort and reach for the operator. The lift-assist design uses an energy absorbing torsional spring to accommodate heavier FROPS designs.

Statistics show that there are a large number of All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) rollover-related injuries and fatalities in the agriculture sector. Properly designed and installed Crush Protection Devices (CPDs) can potentially decrease the operator injuries in an ATV rollover accident. The CPD of a vehicle protects the operator by increasing the crush protection zone (CPZ) under the overturned vehicle. Several operational and safety evaluation criteria for ATVs equipped with CPDs were developed in this study. Some of criteria were evaluated in previous studies but required further assessment. Previous studies regarding the CPD performance in ATV rollover accidents were reviewed. Also, several factors related to operational and safety criteria for three designs of CPD (Quadbar, Lifeguard, and Air-Quad) mounted on 13 ATV models were measured. Factors include the shape and volume of the rear and side CPZ and the increase in the height of the centre of gravity height when the ATV is equipped with a CPD. The results of this study showed that the installation of a CPD increases the CPZ volume compared to the baseline ATV, in the event of a rollover accident. The AIR-Quad, Quadbar, and Lifeguard systems increased the rear CPZ volume with an average of 0.48 m(3) (111% increase), 0.39 m(3) (92% increase), and 0.15 m(3) (35% increase), respectively, compared to the average CPZ of a baseline ATV which is 0.44 m(3). Also, a CPD increases the distance between the seat reference point and the ground surface during a rollover accident. (C) 2019 IAgrE. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recently, military vehicles have been equipped with hybrid, diesel-electric drives to improve fuel efficiency and stealth capabilities, and these vehicles require accurate power duty cycle estimates. A GPS-based mobility power and duty cycle model was developed and is used to predict the vehicle power requirements. The dynamic vehicle parameters needed to estimate the forces and power developed during locomotion are determined from the global positioning system (GPS) tracking data. Controlled tests were performed and the predicted mobility power values predicted from a GPS receiver were compared to the measured drivewheel power estimated from engine data transmitted on the vehicle's controller area network (CAN). The results from the validation tests indicated that the model was reasonably accurate in predicting the average power requirements of the vehicle.

The purpose of this research was to develop and assess a targeted emergency first-aid and safety training program for professional loggers in Montana. There were two key objectives for the program: (1) participant demonstration of recall and retention of key concepts and (2) improved participant reception in comparison to the previous year's training program. The Systematic Approach to Training provided the overall model for the development and conduct of the training program. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to assess the effectiveness of the training program. The training program was administered to 873 loggers. Pre-, post-, and follow-up examinations were used to assess recall and retention of key learning objectives, while surveys were used to assess learner reception of the updated training program. Post-training survey data indicated increases in training applicability, understanding of learning objectives, and overall course enjoyment of the updated program in comparison to the previous year's training program. Participants scored significantly higher on the post-training exams, which demonstrated recall of key training objectives. The results obtained by the training evaluation will guide future research and the continued development of the training program to align with ongoing analysis activities and participant suggestions.

Thermal energy conservation and heat management of the crop growth environment inside high tunnels (HTs) can provide high production efficiency and better yield with low operation cost, hence extending the growing seasons and increasing the sustainability of organic farming. This study assessed the beneficial effects of independent and combined practices on temperature changes inside the HT systems located in eastern Tennessee and further examined the impact of temperature changes on crop production. Specific practices included mulching (polyethylene and biodegradable plastic films and vegetative), row covers, cover crops, and irrigation with collected rainwater or city water. Sweet pepper (Socrates) was grown in the spring seasons of 2011, 2013 and 2015, and statistical differences were analyzed in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) for total marketable yield regarding pepper weight and fruit number per plant, as well as the changes in soil and air temperature. The employment of black polyethylene mulch produced the highest pepper yield by warming the soil, but not excessively, during the day when compared with clear polyethylene mulch. While the black biodegradable mulch did not generate as much soil warming as black polyethylene, its total marketable yield was statistically similar to that for the latter mulch treatment. Also, row covers continuously provided protection from freezing during the cold nights; but, black polyethylene can act alone as an insulator of soil, evidenced by soil temperature and crop yield results. Cover crops allowed for greater heat transfer to soil and increased soil temperatures, but lead to reduced overall yield. Rainwater irrigation not only enhanced water conservation, but also it warmed the soil and tended to increase the overall pepper production, because rainwater was warmer than municipal water except when the pepper were first transplanted in the cold early spring period.

Vehicle rollovers cause many agricultural work-related fatalities each year. Tractors, off-road utility vehicles (ORUVs), zero turn radius (ZTR) mowers, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) can all become involved in fatal rollovers. The rollover tendency of these vehicles was evaluated using static lateral and longitudinal stability angles. Center of gravity locations were measured with the lift axle method, and lateral and longitudinal stability angles were calculated for four ATVs, five ORUVs, four ZTR mowers, and four lawn tractors. Stability angles were calculated for loaded and unloaded vehicle conditions. Loading vehicles with ballast and operators can substantially decrease lateral and longitudinal stability angles. Stability angles for these vehicles and for five full-size agricultural tractors were compared. All loaded and unloaded, lateral and longitudinal stability angles determined met the appropriate ANSI requirements.

Due to a high center of gravity (CG) location, agricultural vehicles are more vulnerable to overturns. The CG location can be calculated using the lifting axle method of ISO 16231-2:2015. But, as a vehicle is lifted, its liquid payloads are not entirely contained. The liquids will shift both in position and form, affecting the CG height calculation. A mathematical model was developed to predict the effect of liquid movement on the CG height calculation of a tilted vehicle. The model was validated using an agricultural utility tractor and a prototype. The developed model was applied to calculate the CG location considering the effect of the liquid shift. Results showed tilting produced a higher calculated center of gravity due to liquid movement, but by increasing the tilting angle, the calculated CG height decreased. The effect of the liquid shift on CG height measurement for the wagon with 16.0% liquid mass was 14.8% and for the tractor with 1.2% liquid mass was 0.41%. The model error was less than 1.3% for all tests. Considering the effect of the liquid shift in CG height calculation, the error in CG height calculation decreased from 11.9% to 2.6% for the wagon. (C) 2017 ISTVS. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The number of fatal tractor rollover accidents with an inoperative foldable rollover protective structure (FROPS) has increased sharply in recent years. Operators frequently leave the FROPS in the folded-down position after lowering the FROPS to pass a low overhead obstacle. One possible explanation for leaving the FROPS in the folded position is that raising and lowering the FROPS is a time-consuming and strenuous process. The actuation torques required to raise and lower a FROPS are not well known and may be influenced by friction. The actuation torques of ten FROPS from four different models were measured. One model FROPS was tested on seven different vehicles, and three models were tested separately. The dynamic and static (initiation and holding) actuation torques were measured to evaluate the effect of static and kinetic friction on actuation torque. The dynamic actuation torques were measured before and after greasing the FROPS. The proposed instruction to measure the actuation torque based on OECD Code 7 was evaluated. Results showed that friction has a significant effect on the measured actuation torque and can increase the actuation torque by up to 212%. The friction varies between FROPS of the same model, which is due to variations in the manufacturing, maintenance, and age of the FROPS. The friction force could be decreased by greasing the FROPS, and decreasing the friction increased the lowering resisting torques and decreased raising torques of FROPS. The measured actuation torque based on OECD Code 7 instruction (static holding) is not a constant value. The dynamic method is recommended for measuring FROPS actuation torques.

Streambank erosion provides a direct supply of sediment to fluvial systems and significantly contributes to the total load in sediment impaired streams. The total amount and location of excessive streambank erosion must be determined to reduce the sediment supply and improve water quality within these impaired water bodies. The objective of our study was to integrate the Bank Assessment for Non‐point source Consequences of Sediment (BANCS) model with the Streambank Video Mapping System, a global positioning system‐based landscape‐scale data collection method, to estimate the total sediment load (SL) from streambank erosion over several river kilometers. This integrated methodology allowed us to identify erosion hotspots along a 20.4 km section of Upatoi Creek in Georgia. These streambank locations would be the highest priority sites for stream restoration efforts such as streambank stabilization, reestablishment of riparian vegetation, and floodplain reconnection. Our study reach had a SL per unit channel length (109 t/yr/km) comparable in magnitude to loading rates reported in the literature from other traditional BANCS assessments.

Although it is well known that properly used Rollover Protective Structures (ROPS) can virtually prevent agricultural tractor rollover fatalities, the U.S. still has hundreds of these fatalities per year. An estimated 1.6 million tractors are not equipped with ROPS. Many of these tractors do not have ROPS commercially available although they were originally designed to support a ROPS. Some tractors have foldable ROPS that are not used properly. Other ROPS, although meet appropriate performance standards, are not effective at eliminating continuous rolls. To meet this need, a Computer-based ROPS Design Program (CRDP) was developed to quickly generate ROPS designs based on agricultural tractor weights and dimensions. The ROPS designed with the CRDP for the Allis Chalmers 5040 tractor successfully passed the SAE J2194 static longitudinal, transverse, and vertical tests. A simple foldable ROPS lift assist was designed and tested to ease in the raising and lowering of ROPS; decreasing the raising torque from 90 Nm to less than 50 Nm, while also lowering the resisting torque to lower the ROPS. A model to determine the critical ROPS height CRH based on off-road vehicle dimensions and center of gravity (CG) height was developed and evaluated.

High tunnels (HTs) are used worldwide for greater crop sustainability and profitability, but producers are finding it difficult to control the trapped heat inside HTs. Clearly, proper ventilation management is crucial for obtaining marketable yield and quality, but the ability to predict HT ventilation based solely on external climate parameters is limited. This project analyzes daytime ventilation rates in a Gothic-type HT located in eastern Tennessee. A numerical energy balance model was developed to calculate air flux, and the estimated values of air flux were compared with measured values from sonic and hot-wire anemometers. Uniquely, this study takes into account the sensible and latent heat exchanges between inside and outside conditions, the radiative and convective transfer mechanisms, and the effects of external wind conditions on the incoming air flux. Moreover, relationships between the external weather conditions and internal microclimate were developed so that air flux, inside temperature, and door opening level could be predicted with the energy balance model using only external weather data. The energy balance model revealed that the HT plastic surface reflected nearly 20% of the solar radiation, that 1% of the solar energy was stored in the air (considered negligible), and that 5% of the solar energy was stored in the soil, while the majority of available solar radiation, 74%, was removed through natural ventilation. There was good agreement between the predictive energy balance model and the direct air flux calculation for ventilation rate (R-2 > 0.70). At the windward end of the HT, the airflow entering the door was mostly perpendicular to the plane of the door opening, which indicated that the fluctuation of outside wind direction had limited effect on the airflow patterns through the door. As a significant indicator of the energy balance model's usefulness, the predicted inside air temperature was validated as similar to the measured values. Thus, the results showed strong evidence that the coupling of the energy balance model and air flux calculation based on external weather parameters can be a valuable method to predict inside microclimate conditions and can be used to estimate the door opening level.

In this study, the results from laboratory measurements of the devolatilization kinetics of switchgrass in a rapidly heated fixed bed reactor flushed with argon and operated at constant temperatures between 600 and 800°C was reported. Results indicate that switchgrass decomposes in two sequential stages during pyrolysis: stage I involves the evaporation and devolatilization of water and extractives and stage II involves that of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. The estimated global activation energy for stage II increased from 52.80 to 59.39kJ/mol as the reactor temperature was increased from 600 to 800°C. The maximum conversion of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen ranged from 0.68 to 0.70, 0.90 to 0.95, 0.88 to 0.91, 0.70 to 0.80, and 0.55 to 0.66, respectively. The retention of alkali and alkaline earth metal (AAEM) species in the solid char after complete pyrolysis was significantly higher than in the original feed, indicating the importance of AAEM species in subsequent char processing.

Although the impacts of military vehicles on the landscape have been studied extensively, research has not looked at full-scale multi-vehicle events to estimate land disturbance. Currently, the military extensively uses live and simulated training to prepare troops for combat, and these systems can provide data for accurate determination of the land disturbance patterns resulting from training activities. This article examines a full-scale multi-vehicle event and determines the total moving-vehicle disturbance (event-based impact). It provides a methodology for using in-field simulation and training systems to generate information on vehicle mobility impacts. This article illustrates how such information can be used to determine changes in the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) C factor for areas of disturbed land. For land managers, the major benefit of this approach is rapid identification of locations that are intensely used and therefore subject to land degradation. Additionally, this approach provides a means to readily quantify those impacts as related to vegetation removal and erosion potential. To illustrate this approach, 84 military vehicles were monitored at Orchard Training Area, Idaho, in August 2008, and 592,132 data points were collected to measure distance traveled, average velocity, and turning radius at 1 s intervals. The data were then processed and mapped to ascertain the impacts on vegetation and potential changes in the C factor. Results indicated that vehicles spent 15.9% of the time and 5.9% of the distance traveled off-road. The vegetation removal rate ranged from 0% to 48%, and the cumulative area of vegetation removed was 156,424.9 m(2). Future work in this area should focus on developing vehicle impact models for forecasting land disturbance regimes.