Comparative Analysis of Hybrid Electric Architectures for Specialized Agricultural Tractors

Abstract

In this work, a comparative numerical analysis between the performance of a conventional specialized orchard tractor and those of three different hybrid electric tractor configurations is presented. The aim was to compare several powertrain configurations in the same working scenarios derived from field measurements. Peak power capabilities and endurance were numerically tested with specific load scenarios involving both transportation mission profiles and field activities with external implements powered through the power take off of the tractor. The proposed hybrid architectures were configured with the same battery-based energy storage system to perform the comparison with the same energy storage capabilities. Two parallel, two series and one electro-hydraulic hybrid configuration were modeled and tested through simulations. The parallel ones excelled in peak power performance, whereas the series configurations had the highest fuel savings. The electro-hydraulic configuration was proposed as an alternative able to allow for a downsized engine but also for the introduction of the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) functionality, which is always an interesting feature for such working machines.

Carbon Footprint of an Orchard Tractor through a Life-Cycle Assessment Approach

“…Indeed, the use of a diesel engine within its best efficiency range is surely the most direct method to limit diesel fuel consumption. In this regard, the investigation of alternative powertrains and propulsion systems is essential to pursue carbon containment [55,56]. Improvements in tractor transmission could lead to the optimization of tractor idle phases other than diesel fuel-rate reduction.…”

Application of digital technologies for ensuring agricultural productivity

“…The European Innovation Partnership Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability's SunBot project is an illustration of this strategy in action (EIP-AGRI). The project, which started in late 2018, has focused on automating a solar-powered tractor and mower for efficient utilization of resources in berry orchards [ 27 ]. The goal of the project is to automate an emission-free electrical tractor, which eventually will lead to improved harvest quality.…”

“…Labor shift from repetitive tasks to high-skilled engineering jobs and the imbalanced adoption of agri-technologies by farmers is expected to create social implications. Advanced intelligence and decision-making capabilities of robots results in debates about moral aspects and, overall, who has the responsibility for these actions [ 27 ]. In addition, the high cost of advanced technologies and the need for resources and infrastructure to implement robotics in the field will present significant feasibility challenges to the widespread adoption of agricultural robotics.…”

Analytical computation of stress intensity factor for multi-physics problems

“…Nowadays, LIBs technology is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the decarbonization challenge and the spread of LIBs in new fields like automotive, and stationary energy storage [17,18,19,20,21,22]. It is demonstrated that mechanical fracture is among the main causes of aging and performance decay in LIBs [23].…”