RFA Ethanol Podcast

John Deere To Win Gold for E-Premium Power-House

Laura McNamara

Final Assembly line at the John Deere Werke Mannheim factoryImagine a tractor that gave farmers enough light to work in the dark. Imagine a tractor that could be a portable, off-site power outlet. Imagine a tractor that has more “get up and go.” Bah. One might think that’s “unheard of”… well, before you scoff, think again. John Deere Werke Mannheim is poised to unleash a new series of E-Premium tractors that boast bells and whistles that are precisely “unheard of”… until now. At Agritechnica 2007 the German Agriculture Society will present John Deere with a gold medal for its product launch of the 7430 and 7530E Premium tractors.

There is a catch though. These tractors are built for the European market, not the American market. But, that doesn’t mean they’re not worth a look. In fact, this European technology could represent part of the future for U.S. agriculture.

I’ll be getting an up-close look at what these first of their kind tractors can do at Agritechnica Sunday.

Exploring German Ingenuity

Paul Smith, the Division Marketing Manager for John Deere Werke Mannheim, sums up the new E Premium technology as efficient and effective performance management through an integrated, high-power electric distribution system. This means, the old crankshaft alternator has been replaced with an electric motor. These tractors no longer have a conventional belt winding throughout their generators. Instead, the 7430 and 7530 E Premium tractors operate on components powered electrically and separately, including the air brake compressor, an air conditioning compressor with a magnetic clutch, a bi-directional engine cooling fan drive capable of variable speeds and a Low Temperature Circuit (LTC) coolant pump also capable of variable speeds.

Final Assembly line at the John Deere Werke Mannheim factoryPaul says conventional belt generators have inescapable performance limitation levels due to both the dimensions of these generators and their electrical output. He says the E Premium technology solves that issue by harnessing controllable, electric energy that’s used only when needed. The air brake compressor with its 12-volt electric clutch engagement only absorbs power when the air brake tank is low. The radiator fan can be stopped and even reversed at the press of a button. The reverse airflow blows out dust and crop waste originally sucked into the system. So, instead of a debris-ridden engine that overheats and requires manual clearing, farmers would have a tractor that clears itself of dust and waste in seconds, saving time and energy. Pair those capabilities with the energy saving speed control of the LTC coolant system and you’ve got a modern tractor miracle.

All this energy saving means these tractors possess 10 additional horse-power, making the engine react noticeably quicker, and two external power connectors that can be used when the tractor is not running. Farmers can feed power to an electric drill, a chainsaw or any equipment that plugs into an electric cord through their choice of a 250-volt power connector or a 400-volt connector.

Don’t forget the extra, external lighting. Paul says, unlike the belt generators that couldn’t support any extra power because they were “milked to the extreme,” the electric distribution system generates ample energy for performance enhancing light that allows farmers to work well beyond dusk.

Paul says, basically, the electrically-powered 7430 and 7530 E Premium tractors are the first of their kind, offering lower fuel consumption, more engine performance at a lower rpm and more control over overall energy use.

Agritechnica 2007 Photo Album

Agribusiness, Equipment, Farming, John Deere, Technology, Tractor