HIGHLIGHTS
Electronic gear selection and autonomous engine rotation management bring benefits to tractor driving.
The electronic management responded positively to the increase in the traction load.
The use of electronic management software should be more widespread among farmers and researchers.
Key words:
gear; gearbox; productivity management software
ABSTRACT
The introduction of new technologies on board of agricultural machinery is constant, for greater energy performance and operational efficiency. Recently, electronic management systems have been able to automatically perform engine gear selection and rotation, aiming at lower hourly fuel consumption. The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the energy and operational efficiency of an agricultural tractor with automatic management of transmission and engine rotation, subjected to traction of different loads. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, in 50-m-long strips with two factors: the automatic management system of transmission and engine rotation (with and without) and three different loads applied on the drawbar, with four repetitions. The collected data were subjected to analysis of variance and to Tukey test. The automatic management system of transmission and engine rotation promoted 20% reduction in wheel slip, 10% increase in operating speed and 28% savings in fuel consumption.
Key words:
gear; gearbox; productivity management software