Abstract
The paper presents a hypothetical conversion of a conventional cable skidder powertrain to its hybrid version. Simulations of skidder operation were made for two existing forest paths, based on the technical characteristics of the engine, transmission system and the characteristics of the winch. Fuel and time consumption were calculated per working cycle considering the operating conditions (slope, load mass). The model was then converted to a hybrid version by adding a battery energy storage system in parallel with the electrical power generator and by employing an energy management control strategy. The dimensions of the battery and the power generator were chosen based on the characteristics of the existing winch with the aim of completely taking over its operation. The management strategy was selected using the specific fuel consumption map. All simulations were repeated for the hybrid drive under the same operating conditions. The results show that fuel savings of around 13% can be achieved with the selected hybrid drive and steering strategy.
Highlights
Accelerated global warming encourages science and industry to research and make changes in technology in favor of Greenhouse gases (GHG) reduction
During forest harvesting operations, fuel consumption contributes to a large portion of the overall environmental impacts compared to other resources consumed, making it the most consumed resource in these operations, while the emission factors associated with the combined provision and consumption of diesel and gasoline fuels were among the highest in comparison with other inventory categories [7]
The virtual driver, who is labelled with dotted lines, provides the throttle valve target position signal, which is forwarded towards the engine, and the braking signal, which is multiplied by the breaking potential and forwarded towards the brakes
Summary
Accelerated global warming encourages science and industry to research and make changes in technology in favor of Greenhouse gases (GHG) reduction. When retrofitting the existing vehicle with the hybrid propulsion system, it is very important that the retrofitting requirements do not result in extensive redesign and costly interventions within the existing on-board power-train and vehicle chassis Having this in mind, the main hypotheses of the presented work are that: (i) it would be possible to convert a conventional 84 kW diesel-powered skidder currently found in the national forestry company fleet, to a battery hybrid counterpart; (ii) and that it would result in notable fuel and greenhouse gas emissions for the several operating scenarios located within the Lika region (Republic of Croatia).
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