Direct Driven Hydraulic System for Skidders

Juraj Benić, Juraj Karlušić, Željko Šitum, Mihael Cipek and Danijel Pavković
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Juraj Benić: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb, Ivana Lučića 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Juraj Karlušić: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb, Ivana Lučića 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Željko Šitum: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb, Ivana Lučića 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Mihael Cipek: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb, Ivana Lučića 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Danijel Pavković: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb, Ivana Lučića 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: This paper investigates potential uses of a novel direct driven electro-hydraulic systems for articulated forestry tractors (skidders), due to these systems having notably higher energy efficiencies compared to classical electro-hydraulic systems that are currently being used in skidders for steering, lifting the front and the rear plate, as well as for operating the double-drum winch. A detailed analysis of the skidder rear plate mechanism is carried out, and static force profiles of hydraulic cylinders are obtained for the rear plate based on mechanism dynamics and measurement data from the literature. Thus, obtained results have been used to emulate the real-life force profiles in laboratory experiments featuring both the classical and the proposed direct driven hydraulic systems for the purpose of comparative analysis of their energy and fuel efficiency. These results are subsequently used to estimate the skidder fuel consumption and possible fuel savings over the entire vehicle life span for the realistic vehicle utilisation scenario. The main result is that fuel consumption can be reduced up to five times in the case of direct driven hydraulic system, thus effectively resulting in return of investment period of about four years in the case of skidder being retrofitted with direct driven hydraulic system.

Keywords: direct driven hydraulics; forestry tractor; skidder; efficiency; fuel savings (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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