Neural network energy management strategy for plug-in hybrid electric combine harvesters based on quasi-periodic samples

Energy management strategies are crucial for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Combine Harvester (PHECH). However, many existing approaches rely on rigid, pre-setting rules that struggle to adjust to the PHECH operational conditions. This paper first introduces a power estimation model tailored to the quasi-periodic process of harvester activity. Then, Dynamic Programming (DP) is applied to derive optimal samples of engine power ratio across various scenarios. Building on the samples, a Neural Network (NN) is developed to enhance the strategy's economic and real-time performance. Simulation tests evaluate the proposed algorithm's efficacy and its energy conservation potential. The findings suggest that, compared to fuel-driven harvesters, the NN strategy achieves similar energy cost savings to the DP approach, exceeding 11%, which is better than the Charge Depleting and Charge Sustaining (CDCS) strategy's 7.22% and the MPC-ECMS strategy's 7.87%. Moreover, the NN strategy reduces the time expense to roughly one-fifth of that required by the DP approach.