Electric drives, hence high voltage, are rapidly gaining importance in agricultural engineering. The Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF) as an independent international industry platform for electronics in agriculture has therefore established a seventh project group named “High Voltage”.
ISOBUS is the primary focus of the AEF. High Voltage is now the second subject the association is addressing. The New High Voltage Project Group is aimed at working out a proposal for the standardization of an interface on the tractor providing external implements or components with electric power. The intention is that with this interface any implement will run its electric motors on any tractor, only limited by the power of the engine. The goal is to achieve an acceptable proposal for a specification that would become an industry standard. Five subgroups are already working on special topics: Physical interface for implements, requirements of implements, safety and risk analysis, specification of interface, requirements regarding communications and power as well as cooling. The new project group is led by Harald Dietel of Sensor-Technik Wiedemann GmbH, Kaufbeuren.
Project Group leader Harald Dietel identified the growing use of electric drives in agricultural machinery as a “historic chance.” Dietel states: Using the control abilities of the electric motors opens the world of decentralized motors to overcome the limitations of mechanical and hydraulic solutions matching the requirements of a new generation of implements with substantial advantages.
