Abstract

Research on electrical drives in agricultural machines rose in the last 20 years and is still continuing. Electric drives have the potential of better controllability and higher degree of efficiency compared to hydraulic and mechanical drives. However, power density is a disadvantage and needs to be compensated with additional functionality and higher reliability in the systems approach seeking for an overall advantage compared to current drive trains for propulsion and functional elements of mobile machines. Electric drives allow a high degree of integrating of the drive into a functional element, which would allow freeing up space needed for the combine working channel. At the chair of Agricultural Systems and Technology was developed an electric drive integrated in a tangential threshing cylinder as an example of an alternative drive solution for future combines. Following, tests with grain in the laboratory under field conditions were completed.