Reducing Operation Emissions and Improving Work Efficiency Using a Pure Electric Wheel Drive Tractor

Chang-Kai Wen; Wen Ren; Qing-Zhen Zhu; Chun-Jiang Zhao; Zhen-Hao Luo; Sheng-Li Zhang; Bin Xie; Zhi-Jun Meng

doi:10.1016/j.eng.2024.01.026

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Engineering ›› 2024, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (6) : 247-263. DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2024.01.026

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Reducing Operation Emissions and Improving Work Efficiency Using a Pure Electric Wheel Drive Tractor

Chang-Kai Wen^a^,^b^,^# ,
Wen Ren^c^,^# ,
Qing-Zhen Zhu^d^,^# ,
Chun-Jiang Zhao^a^,^b ,
Zhen-Hao Luo^e ,
Sheng-Li Zhang^c^,^* ,
Bin Xie^e^,^* ,
Zhi-Jun Meng^a^,^b^,^*

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Abstract

In response to the problems of excessive greenhouse-gas and particulate emissions and the low traction efficiency of conventional diesel tractors in the field, a purely electric wheel-side drive tractor was studied, including an electric motor drive system, a battery ballast system, and an electro-hydraulic suspension system. This paper develops a dynamics model of an electric tractor-ploughing unit under complex soil conditions, leading to the proposal of an active control method for drive wheel torque and a joint control method for the traction force of the suspension system and the front- and rear-axle loads of a tractor. Finally, the tractor is prototyped and assembled, and ploughing tests are carried out. The ploughing results show that the active torque-distribution control method proposed in this study reduces the tractor slip by 14.83% and increases the traction efficiency by 10.28% compared with the average torque-distribution mode. Compared with the conventional traction control mode, the joint control method for traction and ballast proposed in this paper results in a 3.7% increase in traction efficiency, a 15.05% decrease in slip, and a 4.9% reduction in total drive motor energy consumption. This study will help to improve the operation quality and traction efficiency of electric tractors in complex soil conditions.

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Keywords

Electric tractor / Ploughing unit / Torque distribution / Active ballast / Traction performance

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Chang-Kai Wen, Wen Ren, Qing-Zhen Zhu, Chun-Jiang Zhao, Zhen-Hao Luo, Sheng-Li Zhang, Bin Xie, Zhi-Jun Meng. Reducing Operation Emissions and Improving Work Efficiency Using a Pure Electric Wheel Drive Tractor. Engineering, 2024, 37(6): 247‒263 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2024.01.026

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