Flemish ILVO builds first autonomous electric tractor

The autonomous electric tow tractor Djust-E was officially unveiled on 7 June during the Agri Tech Day 23 at the ILVO site in Merelbeke, Belgium. The Djust-E experienced its maiden trip last week, reports news website Vilt.be. “In the meantime he has already worked with a flail mower, with a cultivator and with a rotary harrow. In all cases, the work went according to plan,” says Simon Cool, engineer at ILVO and responsible for the electrification and automation project, in which mechanization company Verschueren (Lochristi) and electric actuator manufacturer Linak were also involved.

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Autonomous and electric

According to Cool it is the very first tractor in Flanders that drives both autonomously and is electrically driven. The conversion of the New Holland Boomer 45 took several months. The diesel engine not only provides the drive, but also forms the connection between the front axle and the rear (transmission). “If you remove it, you no longer have a functional machine,” says Verschueren. The mechanization company has built a completely new chassis to accommodate the electric motor.

Increase range with lithium-ion battery

In addition, a front linkage has been installed, on which the battery pack can be suspended, which can be exchanged quickly and semi-automatically. The battery pack on the front linkage consists of a heavy lead-acid battery of 15 kWh with which you can work on the field for 2 to 3 hours, depending on the application. Cool: “That was sufficient for our testing purposes. With a lithium-ion battery, which is a lot lighter, you can already increase the range considerably.”

Autonomous vehicle

In addition to the electric drive and operation, the Djust-E also works autonomously. This means that it steers, accelerates and decelerates itself, regulates its linkage and controls implements. ILVO wrote the software for this and integrated the sensors. This project involved intensive collaboration with the Danish supplier of actuators Linak.