Power Consumption and Energy Efficiency of Motor-Driven Rotary Tiller

Abstract

Electrification technologies that are prevalent in HEVs, EVs, and FCEVs are not common in the case of farm machinery. The purpose of this study is to investigate the power consumption and energy efficiency of motor-driven farm machinery to clarify the advantages of their electrification. Therefore, a motor-driven rotary tiller was developed and examined in field and motor bench tests.

The results of the tests showed that the motor-driven rotary tiller hardly stalled because the load adjustment was quick and motor rotation speed was stable. Moreover, it instantly achieved high torque at low speeds. The energy efficiency exceeded 80 % in the field test, and the use of an electric motor reduced energy costs by 43 % compared to using diesel.