Winding switching strategy for electric wheel drives in agricultural machinery

Abstract

Electrified drive trains for tractors open great possibilities of raising performance in heavy agricultural operations due to high controllability and drive torque feedback. However, electric motor characteristics do not completely satisfy traction requirements in agricultural operations which imply high torques at low speeds as well as high transport speeds. The paper proposes to apply a winding switching method for electric wheel motors. The key advantage is the adjustment of resistance and flux to the optimal operation point which influences the motor characteristics and efficiency. Experiments show the transition of three winding configurations. The electric power for the traction drive is provided by a diesel-generator. Interaction of power flow and winding change is investigated.