Analysis and design of a portable track transportation system in the steep hillside orchards

In order to solve the difficulties of fruit transportation in the orchards planted on steep slopes, a new transportation system was designed combining the advantages of cable-way transportation and rail transportation. The mechanical analysis and model test were conducted. The results showed that a winch could provide the driving power for the trolley to meet the driving demand on slopes less than 40 degrees. The tension of the cable system was reduced by 70% when the track was used as the gravity support of the trolley. As the newly designed track can be easily disassembled, the utilization rate of the transportation system was doubled. The detachable track transportation system had advantages of high efficiency and low cost. It could lead to the wide application of the mechanized transportation system in the hilly and mountainous orchard. Moreover, it could solve the problem of orchard-upstream transportation mechanization. The system has high practical value to mechanize the upstream fruit transportation in orchards.