Operating Point Optimization of Agricultural Tractor–Implement Combinations as Constraint Optimization Problem
Increasing the process efficiency of agricultural tasks is a key measure to decrease overall costs and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. However, optimizing tractor–implement combinations is challenging due to the variety of processes and implements and the complexity of the powertrains in moder...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Eng |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4117/6/2/27 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850080497030397952 |
|---|---|
| author | Benjamin Kazenwadel Marina Graf Lukas Michiels Marcus Geimer |
| author_facet | Benjamin Kazenwadel Marina Graf Lukas Michiels Marcus Geimer |
| author_sort | Benjamin Kazenwadel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Increasing the process efficiency of agricultural tasks is a key measure to decrease overall costs and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. However, optimizing tractor–implement combinations is challenging due to the variety of processes and implements and the complexity of the powertrains in modern tractors. In addition, overall process efficiency is an ambiguous optimization objective in agricultural processes as it relates resource consumption to harvest yields, which are only known at the end of a harvest season. The presented approach defines process constraints, ensuring optimization does not negatively affect harvest yield. These constraints allow for the formulation of explicit objective functions that are observable during the operation. The method establishes a mathematical foundation for the optimization of agricultural processes. The mathematical principles of the theoretical framework and the techniques used to define control constraints are explored, whereby the applicability to alternative objectives like optimizing the overall process cost is highlighted. To demonstrate the practical utility of the proposed approach, an optimization cycle is applied to a real-world scenario: adapting the working speed during the tillage process using a cultivator to maximize energy efficiency. The approach simplifies the optimization problem by formulation as a constraint optimization problem, allowing for improving the operating point of tractor–implement combinations with respect to observable process objective functions. The results underline the importance of advanced control strategies in agricultural machinery, advancing precision agriculture and promoting sustainable farming practices. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-04e1477257854337a6785446c510ed21 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2673-4117 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Eng |
| spelling | doaj-art-04e1477257854337a6785446c510ed212025-08-20T02:44:56ZengMDPI AGEng2673-41172025-02-01622710.3390/eng6020027Operating Point Optimization of Agricultural Tractor–Implement Combinations as Constraint Optimization ProblemBenjamin Kazenwadel0Marina Graf1Lukas Michiels2Marcus Geimer3Institute of Mobile Machines (Mobima), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76131 Karlsruhe, GermanyInstitute of Mobile Machines (Mobima), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76131 Karlsruhe, GermanyInstitute of Mobile Machines (Mobima), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76131 Karlsruhe, GermanyInstitute of Mobile Machines (Mobima), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76131 Karlsruhe, GermanyIncreasing the process efficiency of agricultural tasks is a key measure to decrease overall costs and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. However, optimizing tractor–implement combinations is challenging due to the variety of processes and implements and the complexity of the powertrains in modern tractors. In addition, overall process efficiency is an ambiguous optimization objective in agricultural processes as it relates resource consumption to harvest yields, which are only known at the end of a harvest season. The presented approach defines process constraints, ensuring optimization does not negatively affect harvest yield. These constraints allow for the formulation of explicit objective functions that are observable during the operation. The method establishes a mathematical foundation for the optimization of agricultural processes. The mathematical principles of the theoretical framework and the techniques used to define control constraints are explored, whereby the applicability to alternative objectives like optimizing the overall process cost is highlighted. To demonstrate the practical utility of the proposed approach, an optimization cycle is applied to a real-world scenario: adapting the working speed during the tillage process using a cultivator to maximize energy efficiency. The approach simplifies the optimization problem by formulation as a constraint optimization problem, allowing for improving the operating point of tractor–implement combinations with respect to observable process objective functions. The results underline the importance of advanced control strategies in agricultural machinery, advancing precision agriculture and promoting sustainable farming practices.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4117/6/2/27operating point optimizationenergy efficiencyagricultural processes |
| spellingShingle | Benjamin Kazenwadel Marina Graf Lukas Michiels Marcus Geimer Operating Point Optimization of Agricultural Tractor–Implement Combinations as Constraint Optimization Problem Eng operating point optimization energy efficiency agricultural processes |
| title | Operating Point Optimization of Agricultural Tractor–Implement Combinations as Constraint Optimization Problem |
| title_full | Operating Point Optimization of Agricultural Tractor–Implement Combinations as Constraint Optimization Problem |
| title_fullStr | Operating Point Optimization of Agricultural Tractor–Implement Combinations as Constraint Optimization Problem |
| title_full_unstemmed | Operating Point Optimization of Agricultural Tractor–Implement Combinations as Constraint Optimization Problem |
| title_short | Operating Point Optimization of Agricultural Tractor–Implement Combinations as Constraint Optimization Problem |
| title_sort | operating point optimization of agricultural tractor implement combinations as constraint optimization problem |
| topic | operating point optimization energy efficiency agricultural processes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4117/6/2/27 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT benjaminkazenwadel operatingpointoptimizationofagriculturaltractorimplementcombinationsasconstraintoptimizationproblem AT marinagraf operatingpointoptimizationofagriculturaltractorimplementcombinationsasconstraintoptimizationproblem AT lukasmichiels operatingpointoptimizationofagriculturaltractorimplementcombinationsasconstraintoptimizationproblem AT marcusgeimer operatingpointoptimizationofagriculturaltractorimplementcombinationsasconstraintoptimizationproblem |