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The genetic modification of oilseeds has been a critical step in the evolution of biodegradable, non-toxic vegetable oil-based industrial fluids. Oils that are high in oleic acid possess the required properties for many industrial applications and have been successfully used as hydraulic fluids and numerous lubricants. Recently, the DuPont Co. has developed high oleic soybean varieties that produce oil with greatly improved oxidative stability. This oil provides the opportunity to make environmentally acceptable industrial fluids that may be lower in cost and/or functionally superior to vegetable oil-based fluids currently on the market. Research and testing over the last year has focused on utilizing genetically modified soyoil for industrial applications. Using standard bench tests and low volume fluid power pump tests, experiments were conducted to develop a soybean oil-based hydraulic fluid in cooperation with Lubrizol Corporation.

Many of the advances in mechatronic design and electrohydraulic controls have not been fully utilized on mobile equipment. Many operations, like the positioning storage bins on most mobile vegetable harvesting machines are controlled by the driver with a manually operated directional control valve located in the cab. Most storage bins on harvesting machines are located behind the cab, often requiring the operator to look back to view the product and reposition the bin while driving the harvester. Frequently, because of distractions or visual obstructions, the operator can not advance or reposition the storage bin during operation thus causing the incoming harvested product to “back-up” into the grading and conveying systems on the machine. When the product backs-up on the machine, overfilling and excessive product damage occurs. Using bond graph modeling and simulation, a control system to automatically position storage bins on mobile vegetable harvesting equipment was designed.