Effect Analysis of Motor Power Characteristics on the Energy Consumption of Dual Motor Driven Powertrain for Electric Tractor

Purpose The development of electric tractors is essential for sustainable agriculture. However, most research on electric tractor powertrain has primarily focused on powertrain configuration or control algorithms, with little attention given to the characteristics of the motors or providing a rationale for motor selection. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of motor power characteristics on the energy consumption of an electric tractor powertrain. Methods To analyze the energy consumption of the powertrain, a simulation model of a dual-motor torque coupling powertrain (DMTCP) was developed. Four different types of motors with varying efficiency distributions were selected for comparison. The energy consumption during plow operation was then analyzed by varying the motor types within the DMTCP. Results The simulation results revealed that among the four motor types, those with higher efficiency in the low-speed region below the rated speed resulted in the lowest energy consumption, with up to 7.9% less energy consumption compared to other motor types. Conclusion This study compared the energy consumption of powertrain based on the power characteristics of different motors. The simulation results confirmed that motor power characteristics have a significant impact on powertrain energy consumption. This finding underscores the importance of considering motor characteristics in addition to powertrain configuration and control algorithms to achieve an optimality of system when designing electric tractor powertrains.