Power Analysis of a 3-kW Class Motor-Driven Multipurpose Walking-Type Transplanter

Purpose The purpose of this study is to measure and analyze the power of the motor-driven transplanter to provide useful information for the optimal design of an electric drive system. Methods An electric transplanter was developed by replacing its engine-driven system with an electric motor-driven system. The data acquisition system was constructed to measure torque and rotational speed data during field operations. The field experiment was performed under three operational conditions at planting distance levels (26, 42, and 63 cm) as follows: (1) driving without transplanting operation, (2) transplanting operation without driving, and (3) transplanting operation with driving. Results In the case of the driving without transplanting operation, the average power requirement of the driving part increased from 0.14 to 0.124 kW. In the case of the transplanting operation without driving, the maximum power requirement of the transplanting part dramatically decreased from 1.084 to 0.346 kW. As the planting distance increased, the average power requirement decreased by 45.7-53.2%. In the case of the transplanting operation with driving and compared to the rated power (3 kW) according to the planting distance, the average total power requirement of the electric transplanter is 1.345 kW at 26 cm (44.8% to rated power), which was approximately 1.57-2.2 times larger than the power requirement at 42 and 63 cm. It can be seen that the continuous operation time is 8.9, 12.8, and 14.3 h at each planting distance. Conclusions The results of this study can provide useful information for designing an optimal electric drive system of a motor-driven transplanter considering the load characteristic according to planting distance.