A team of experts has designed an electric farm tractor prototype that they claim has some serious advantages over common diesel models.
The team includes members from several Chinese universities and several experts from electric vehicle juggernaut BYD. They started the project to tackle air pollution created by diesel tractors, low traction efficiency in fields, and other performance issues, all per a lengthy lab report posted by ScienceDirect.
The result is a 14.7-kilowatt (19.7-horsepower) concept tractor that has some solid results after initial testing, including power-intensive plowing.
The design "effectively reduces the slip and increases the tractor traction efficiency while improving the plowing stability," the team wrote in the report.
From a stability standpoint, the tractor provides more balance on uneven terrain.
"Unequal distribution of torque between the left and right wheels, a common problem in traditional tractors, leads to excessive slippage," Interesting Engineering's Rizwan Choudhury wrote in a story on the design.
Fixed counterweights can cause unbalanced weight distribution, leading to reduced traction and efficiency loss, as well.
In the electric model, individual motors power each wheel, providing precise torque and reduced slipping. The batteries are carefully placed, serving as strategic ballasts. Furthermore, an electric hydraulic suspension system provides for "real-time adjustments," all per IE.
The research team gave a thorough breakdown of the science behind the tractor in the ScienceDirect post, including equations and charts aplenty.
Some results after rigorous plowing tests are a noteworthy quick read. Torque distribution improvements garnered a 14.83% reduction in slippage and a 10.28% traction efficiency increase.
"The joint traction-ballast control method yielded a 3.7% boost in traction efficiency, a 15.05% reduction in slip, and a 4.9% decrease in total energy consumption," per IE.
Electric tractor design isn't unique to the Far East. On the West Coast, California's Monarch is also making electric, self-driving tractors to help farmers work more efficiently. But one of the big benefits could be improved health for the driver.
The National Library of Medicine published research on how diesel fumes impact farmers who spend hours a day on a tractor. The report indicated that more analysis is needed for an accurate depiction of the impact.
But evidence is mounting that small particulates in diesel exhaust can irritate lung problems, including asthma. The state of Washington's Ecology Department likens the impact of the ground-level smog to "sunburn on your lungs."
Battery-powered tractors would address the pollution problem — helping to reduce the frequency of extreme weather that is endangering communities — along with traction and balance concerns, according to the Chinese team.
"The proposed solutions address current challenges and set the stage for a greener and more efficient future for agriculture," Choudhury wrote in IE.
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