Intelligent ballast control system with active load-transfer for electric tractors

Abstract

For agricultural tractors fixed ballast cannot provide high-efficiency traction under time-varying resistance in the field. Combining the characteristics of electric tractors with high-weight battery packs, this paper develops an intelligent ballast control system including a battery position adjustment (BPA) mechanism and an active ballasting control method. A tractor traction performance prediction model was developed to predict traction performance parameters and load-transfer in real time. The movement of the battery pack enables load-transfer based on the BPA. To ensure the lowest sliding rate of optimal tractive efficiency, an active ballasting control method based on a particle swarm optimisation algorithm was proposed that enabled control of the optimal battery position. The results of MATLAB/Simulink simulation indicate that the traction resistance after grading and pre-treatment not only reduced the frequency of change in the resistance signal but also retain the original trend. The results of a hardware in the loop test showed that the average tractive efficiency in the mode of active ballasting mode higher than that of the no ballasting mode (increased by 6.6%) and fixed ballasting mode (increased by 4.7%). The mean wheel slip in active ballasting mode was lower than that of the no ballasting mode (decreased by 10.3%) and the fixed ballasting mode (decreased by 4.9%). In addition, the front axle dynamic load distribution ratio in active ballasting mode was always greater than 0.2, which ensured the operational stability of the tractor. This study provides theoretical support and technical reference for optimising the traction performance of electric tractors. • An intelligent ballast control system with active load-transfer is developed. • The concept of batteries instead of ballasts. • Battery position adjustment mechanism (BPA) is designed. • Active ballasting control method based on traction performance prediction model. • The maximum average tractive efficiency is increased by 6.6%.