Reduction of fuel consumption using driving strategy in agricultural tractor

ABSTRACT During the acquisition and use of an agricultural tractor, the consumption of fuel by the engine must be taken into account by the user, considering its nonrenewable origin and the marketing price. Appropriate strategies in driving tractors can help users to reduce production costs. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the fuel consumption of an agricultural tractor using different driving strategies. Load levels were imposed, following the instructions from Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Code 2, using an instrumented dynamometer car, in a concrete test track. Six load levels (30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80% of Q0) and three travel speeds (5.16, 7.29, and 10.48 km h-1) were applied for the strategies used (Full Throttle and Shifted Up - Throttle Back), where Q0 is the traction force corresponding to the maximum power in the drawbar for each gear selected. Three repetitions were made, which totaled 108 experimental units (2 × 3 × 6 × 3), in a completely randomized experimental design. Shifted Up - Throttle Back mode should be used as a strategy of tractor driving, because it can save up to 29.39% of fuel in relation to the Full Throttle mode, typically used by users.摘要 在农用拖拉机的购置与使用环节中，用户需兼顾发动机燃油消耗量、燃料的不可再生属性以及市场售价。合理的拖拉机驾驶策略可帮助使用者降低生产成本。在此背景下，本研究旨在针对不同驾驶策略下的农用拖拉机燃油消耗量开展评估。试验遵循经济合作与发展组织（Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development，OECD）规程2的要求，在混凝土试验跑道上利用搭载传感测量装置的测功车施加载荷等级。本试验设置6个载荷等级（分别为Q0的30%、40%、50%、60%、70%及80%）与3个行驶速度（5.16、7.29及10.48 km·h⁻¹），并采用两种驾驶策略：全油门（Full Throttle）模式与升挡-回油（Shifted Up - Throttle Back）模式，其中Q0为对应所选挡位下牵引杆最大功率的牵引力。试验设置3次重复，总计108个试验单元（2×3×6×3），采用完全随机试验设计。研究结果显示，升挡-回油模式可作为拖拉机驾驶的优选策略，相较于用户常规使用的全油门模式，该模式最多可节省29.39%的燃油。