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HANOVER, N.H. — The well-known and long-time farm tractor manufacturer John Deere is looking at making some changes to one of its product lines and is performing research at ERDC-CRREL.
Recently, the laboratory hosted testing for Deere in its Materials Evaluation Facility (MEF), a room the approximate size of a two-car garage, with refrigeration that can push ambient temperature to minus 24 degrees Fahrenheit.
The research is motivated based on the change Deere is making to one of its product lines, and specifically, if there will be any engine issues in cold climate conditions.
“I am here to verify that change,” said John Deere Designer II Scott Macco.
“This morning we had the room at minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit and we have been slowly warming it up to cover a range of temperatures and at high humidity,” said Leonard Zabilansky, a CRREL civil engineer. “We have a snow gun blowing snow at the vehicle, which is on blocks and rollers and it is being driven autonomously – the wheels are spinning. It’s on auto-pilot now.”
“Other facilities were not interested in getting snow in their coldrooms,” said Macco. “It has been very easy to get this testing done at CRREL. In one week of testing, we have met our research expectations and have been able to do a bunch of simulations to cover the range of what the customer could see with different types of humidity and snow conditions.”