Performance analysis of an electrified leveller prototype

Reducing the environmental impact of agricultural practices is a huge challenge, which involves the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the use of chemicals. In this context, agricultural machinery electrification offers improvements such as continuous adjustment of speed and direction, and integration with machine control systems for advanced functionalities like variable rate operations. Research has been focusing on electrifying tractors and agricultural machinery, replacing mechanical and hydraulic components with electric actuators. This can enhance energy efficiency, control, safety, and comfort by eliminating the cardan shaft in PTO-driven machines. However, few electric agricultural machines are commercially available, primarily due to the high-power requirements. This paper evaluates the energy performance of a 48 V electric leveller prototype, developed with Fontana srl. The prototype was also compared with a hydraulic leveller of the same size. Results indicate that the electric leveller can reduce PTO power consumption due to the higher energy efficiency, demonstrating the potential for implement electrification to enhance agricultural efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, the 48 V DC bus can be used for low-medium power applications, requiring less stringent isolation, enhancing safety, and reducing complexity compared to high voltage systems.