100 HP Plug In EV 4WD Tractor

[JasG]

IMPO electric hybrids have a place like trains, mining and heavy highway equipment. With all of the good press, along with positive feed back on a few equipment forums. I'm a little surprised Cat only offers the D7 as an electric. Of course they are still just starting to sell electric trucks. I would think the 1st practical hybrid tractor would be a large high HP model. That seem to be from what I have read and my own experience would allow the space to fit all of the things to make something like this work. There are more problems with electric than just batteries. Many of these systems count on rare earth minerals which are hard to mine and in short supply. Electric motors are also large vs a mechanical or hyro transmission. Hopefully we find solutions to these problems down the road.

As far as the government, I don't mind if that can work in an honest manner. Unfortunately time and time again over the last 20-30 years and probably further back. When they pick winners and losers it's all about agenda and/or political payback. IMO that is why we have ethanol from corn which everything I have read is a net energy loser vs something different. There are other alcohols that work better, isobutanol is one, but the money goes to ethanol. Bush was big into hydrogen and switch grass based fuels, then ***** again because of his backing shifted funding to other areas. Probably the next admin will shift money someplace different, all based on who gave them money to get elected. With this type of system all that will happen is we increase our debt with zero forward progress.

 

[WilliamBos]

Forget the over priced Ferrari, look at Cats electric drive dozers, and work from there.

http://www.cat.com/D7E

 

[CliffordK]

I would imagine it would all depend on what you're doing.

I could imagine an electric lawn tractor used for a half hour or so, then plugged back in. Afterall, there are already electric lawn mowers.

However, a tractor is often used continuously, at a high HP usage, for hours. I suppose it depends on what kind of farming you are doing.

Anyway, it would all depend on the usage and charging facilities. For example, if one was spreading fertilizer, if one could do a rapid battery swap, one could fill up with fertilizer, do a few passes around the field, dump the battery, pick up a new battery, reload the fertilizer, and head off again.

What about a steam powered combine?
Thresh the wheat.
Burn the straw.

 

[vtsnowedin]

What about a steam powered combine?
Thresh the wheat.
Burn the straw.

The Ag community has been there and done that. It is better then horse drawn McCormick reapers and hand threshing with flails but steam power is only about seven percent efficient vs. diesel power at about 34%. We need to look forward not backward if we don't want to see several billion people starve to death.

 

[CliffordK]

There is some market for straw now. But, until recently it was just plowed under. Your average combine produces a lot of straw, if it could be used for power at the source, it might at least save some diesel. But, it would probably be a pretty smoky prospect, unless it could be burnt very hot.

 

[vtsnowedin]

There is some market for straw now. But, until recently it was just plowed under. Your average combine produces a lot of straw, if it could be used for power at the source, it might at least save some diesel. But, it would probably be a pretty smoky prospect, unless it could be burnt very hot.

From the top-soils standpoint, considering both moisture retention and nutrient cycles I think it is better to leave the straw in the field.

 

[CliffordK]

From the top-soils standpoint, considering both moisture retention and nutrient cycles I think it is better to leave the straw in the field.

Burning it, of course, leaves most of the nutrients behind, without the carbon.

 

[daugen]

Forget the over priced Ferrari, look at Cats electric drive dozers, and work from there.

http://www.cat.com/D7E

I enjoyed that site.
These motors are AC right? And the higher the voltage the better?

Better be real well insulated before you leave that tractor out in the field for the night in the rain...
not that you ever would.

Ok. Where are my nuclear power cartridges like all the movies show?
But my understanding is that nuclear needs to create heat and usually steam, or superheated water, for
propulsion or power. All I want is AC, so maybe we have a ways to go before we get our little plug in power sources, good for
three+ years like our nuclear aircraft carriers. Much smaller of course, in the movies they are quite small...most convenient.
Probably provided by Sandisk. 2050. Gonna try to be around to find out, which is some serious wishful thinking at my age.

 

[peteh007]

Im an EV and solar engineer....
What you say is very true. Tractors would be truly ideal for EV. Batterys can be sized for the say 50hp needed.. far less than a teslamotors.com? Also the battery pack would most likely be about 30kwatt.hours. Meaning you can charge it up for around $5 if you have solar panels. You would need about 10 solar panels to last you for ever... cost about $10k installed. You'll get some rebate or tax back too.. in some states. Lets see who's first to product?

 

[peteh007]

As a reference point you have Tesla Motors new Model S.

Its electric. With 300 mile range. 0->60 in 4.4secs and 440hp. 85kwatthours of battery. Batts cost $40k.

Scale a tractor down from there.. tractors need WAY WAY less than 440hp or 300 miles range.. but pulls a load more.. My TC33 has.... well 33hp lol

probably used 6 hours a day at 550rpm full tilt? and 7 gals of gas? which is about 1/4 of a car's tank. So energy storage wize a tractor is about 1/4 that of a fast car? Thus batts would cost $10k?

Cheaper than a gas engine.. and tank and gear box.. etc.