John Deere is one of the names that pops up when there is a discussion about tractors. John Deere’s current electric agricultural machinery development has introduced an electric cable-powered tractor concept delivering up to 400 hp. Let’s take a look at this John Deere GridCON autonomous electric tractor.
About GridCON
The GridCON research project and tractor offer farmers the opportunity to supply and use their own energy for fieldwork. The GridCON project is an initiative by the economic affairs, energy ministry and managed by the Aerospace Centre eV in Cologne, Germany. It is a joint project of John Deere, University of Kaiserslautern and B.A.U.M.
This autonomous concept is based on a John Deere 6210R tractor chassis. GridCON uses a cable connection from a stationary power supply at the field to the tractor. There is a continuous 300KW power supply through the cable in which a 100 kW electric motor feeds an IVT transmission.
Another 200KW will be available for farm implements for the tractor. The GridCON tractor uses a 700 volts DC for electric power distribution both onboard and for additional implements. The machine has a cooling setup for off-board electricals, while the total efficiency of the drive train is up to 85 percent.
Operation
A huge spindle type mechanism fixed to the tractor carries up to 1,000 meters of cable. Although the length can be extended as required, making it applicable to a variety of farming types, including some larger area operations. The supply cable will release and retract with assistance from a robotic arm. A guidance system is available to avoid the tractor running over the power supply cable. During operations, the tractor follows preset rows autonomously at operating speeds up to 20kmph. The vehicle also has a manual remote control option which is useful when manoeuvring the tractor at field edges.
Conclusion
The total empty weight of the working prototype GridCON tractor including cable drum and robot arm is about 8.5 tonnes. So it is about the same weight as a conventional John Deere 6195R tractor but with twice as much power. John Deere says its research engineers are aiming to reduce the weight further by at least one tonne.
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