Agricultural machine with energy reservoir for overcoming peak loads

• US 7,431,113 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Deppe, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US11/052,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20050178100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.6, 180/65.7, 180/235, 180/242, 180/248, 180/315, 180/9.36, 180/307, 180/65.8, 180/900, 701/50, 701/208, 701/213, 701/22, 903/910, 903/923, 903/942, 340/684, 340/667, 340/685, 340/457, 56/147, 56/108, 562/03, 56/168
• US Class Current: 180/65.31
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/085 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 69/025 Electric hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/90 Argicultural-type tractors

Abstract

The agricultural machine has at least one energy producer (19); at least one energy storage device; at least one working unit (2, 4, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17) driven by the at least one energy producer (19) and at least one electric drive unit (20) associated with the at least one energy producer (19). The at least one electric drive unit (20) controls the energy supply of the at least one working unit (2, 4, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17) according to energy requirements of the at least one working unit (2, 4, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17) since it supplies energy to or takes it from the at least one energy storage device (29) as needed.

Claims

1. An agricultural machine comprising

at least one energy producer (19) which comprises an internal combustion engine;

at least one energy storage device (29) which comprises a battery;

a plurality of wheels for driving the agricultural machine;

a plurality of working units (2, 4, 7, 8,15,16,17) driven by the internal combustion engine; and

at least one electric drive unit (20) associated with the internal combustion engine, wherein the at least one electric drive unit (20) receives energy from the battery, wherein the battery is charged by energy recovered from a braking process of the agricultural machine, and wherein the at least one electric drive unit (20) comprises means for controlling an energy supply of at least some of the working units (2, 4, 7, 8,15,16,17) according to energy requirements of the at least one working unit (2, 4, 7, 8,15,16,17), wherein said at least one electric drive unit is configured to control and compensate variations in rotation speeds of said at least some of the working units when said rotation speeds fall below a predetermined threshold.

2. The agricultural machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for turning on and turning off the at least one electric drive unit (20) according to energy requirements of the at least some of the one working units (2, 4, 7, 8,15,16,17).

3. The agricultural machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for turning on and turning off the at least one electric drive unit (20) according to energy requirements of the at least one energy producer (19).

4. The agricultural machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one electric drive unit (20) supplies energy to an element selected from the group consisting of the at least one energy storage device (29),the at least one working unit (2, 4, 7, 8,15,16,17), and both.

5. The agricultural machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one electric drive is associated with the at least one working unit (2, 4, 7, 8,15,16,17).

6. The agricultural machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one rotation speed sensor (23) associated with the at least some of the working units and an analysis unit (24) connected with the at least one rotation speed sensor (23), and wherein said at least one rotation speed sensor (23) transmits at least one average rotation speed signal to the analysis unit (24) and the analysis unit (24) controls the at least one electric drive unit (20) in accordance with the at least one average rotation speed signal.

7. The agricultural machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for controlling said energy supply controls said energy supply according to both said energy requirements of said at least some of the working units and energy requirements of said at least one energy producer (19) and said means for controlling said energy supply is adjustable.

8. The agricultural machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for turning on and turning off the at least one electric drive unit (20) according to requirements selected from the group consisting of energy requirements of the at least one energy producer (19), said energy requirements of the at least some of the working units (2,4, 7, 8,15,16, 17), and both and said means for turning on and turning off is adjustable.

9. The agricultural machine as defined in claim 8, wherein said means for turning on and turning off operates automatically.

10. The agricultural machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one electric drive unit (20) is connected with a battery and a summing gear unit (21).

11. The agricultural machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising a summing gear unit (21) associated with said at least one energy producer (19) and said at least one electric drive (20).

12. The agricultural machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising a distributing gear unit (22) and a common summing gear unit (21) for the distributing gear unit (22) and wherein the distributing gear unit (22) is associated with the at least some of the working units (2, 4, 7, 8,15, 16,17).