Evaluation of the Working Parameters of a Series-Hybrid Tractor under the Soil Work Conditions

The economy sectors of transport and agriculture are among the major contributors to environmental pollution. Certain environmental solutions are increasingly implemented in agriculture in order to reduce the pollution. Among these solutions are the alternative types of fuel and powertrain used in the heavy-duty vehicles, although their use is rather fragmented. This paper investigates the possibilities for the use of the hybrid drive in agricultural vehicles during the soil cultivation process by simulating the actual work conditions. The numerical model of the medium power tractor with CNG ICE and a series-hybrid setup was created, and the simulations were performed in the Matlab-Simscape environment. Evaluation of the hybrid drive power demand for conventional field works was performed. Energy loss and efficiency of the drive were calculated for different work modes. Fuel costs and run time on one cylinder were evaluated and the variation in the run time in view of the efficiency of the engine working points was determined. The designed model may be used for development of the control algorithms for hybrid drives and improvement of the efficiency thereof. During the investigations, drive management was found to have considerable influence on the fuel costs.