Dutch sprayer maker Agrifac is showing a prototype of its Vanguard 55 self-propelled sprayer with a diesel-electric drive at the AgroTechniek Holland (ATH) trade fair. The machine carries a 5,500-litre tank on a high-clearance chassis, and the company expects to offer the hybrid drive on its standard chassis versions in future.
An 80 kWh lithium-ion battery sits on the platform between the cab and the tank, allowing the sprayer to drive fully on electricity. The wheel drive and the pumps are electrically powered as well.
Agrifac, based in Steenwijk in the province of Overijssel, has tested the prototype for the past year on the road and in the field. According to the manufacturer, early experience suggests the hybrid drive saves around 50% of diesel, thanks to the efficiency of electric motors. Part of the saving comes from not running the diesel engine while the sprayer is being filled, and braking energy can be recovered as electricity while driving.
The prototype has a 126 kW diesel engine, smaller than the one in the standard diesel version. First test results suggest that a final production version should eventually be able to work fully electrically through a typical working day. A fully electric version is estimated to weigh 500 to 600 kg more than the diesel-hydraulic model.
For arable farmers, a sprayer that burns half as much fuel cuts one of the larger running costs of crop protection, though the extra weight of batteries is a consideration on soft soils.
Photo: Agariar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Future Farming
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