Design and Development of Electrical Multi-tool Carrier and its Compatible Equipment for Protected Cultivation

The present paper describes the design and development of an electric multi-tool carrier and its compatible equipment (bed former, sprayer, and pollinator) for critical operations in protected cultivation. Design values were derived from protected structure dimensions and layout, soil properties, cropping parameters, and human factors with diverse cultivation needs. Field evaluations demonstrate the performance of the electric multi-tool carrier, navigating a 400 kg load at 20 km/h off-road and on-road with consistent track width and pneumatic tyre footprint. Maneuverability is highlighted by mean values for minimum turning diameter (6.9 m) and minimum clearance diameter (7.75 m). Traction parameters infer values of Travel Reduction Ratio (8.7%), Net Traction Ratio (0.84%), Tractive Efficiency (61.47%), Gross Traction Ratio (1.24%), Motion Resistance Ratio (0.40%), and Rolling Radius (1595.12 mm). Equipment-specific results show the bed former's efficiency of 52.08% at 2.0 km/h, 12% wheel slippage, and 1.53 kW power, sprayer's optimal uniformity at 3.0 km/h, 3.0 kg/cm² and maximum droplet density at 3.5 km/h, 2.5 kg/cm². The pollinator, under optimal conditions (AFR 1.6-1.8 m³/min, PFA 18-21 Hz, ET 20 sec), yielded a mean pollination efficiency of 82.63% and a crop yield of 17.99 kg/5 m². The entire system, had a total cost of Rs. 2,12,000.00 and an operational cost of Rs. 206 per hour, demonstrates economic viability, with a calculated payback period of 3.25 years. The developed machine has great potential for dissemination as it is powered by batteries, a source of green energy. The developed machine is one of its kind as it is versatile and can be used for haulage, bund formation, spraying and pollination.