Field Traction Performance Test Analysis of Bionic Paddy Wheel and Vaned Wheel

In order to improve the traction performance of a wheel of a micro-tiller on the soil surface of a paddy field, we extracted the surface curve of a cow’s hoof and used the cow’s hoof as a bionic prototype to design a bionic paddy wheel. In order to verify the passability of the bionic paddy wheel in paddy soil, a wheel-soil test bench was built in the experimental field with a moisture content of 36%. The test results show that under the condition of the same load on the wheel, the changing laws of torque, drawbar pull, and slip ratio of the bionic paddy wheel and the conventional vaned wheel are similar. The torque and drawbar pull of the bionic paddy wheel are higher than those of the conventional vaned wheel at the same slip ratio. The maximum torque and hook traction provided by the bionic paddy wheel and the conventional vaned wheel both increase with the increase of the load on the wheel. Under the same load on the wheel, the bionic paddy wheel is at least 22% higher than the conventional vaned wheel. Compared with the conventional vaned wheel, the bionic paddy wheel can provide a higher driving force and hook traction, which can improve the working efficiency of the vehicle in the paddy field.