Electric tree felling head and associated control system for a forestry vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10694687-B2
Application number	US-201715674991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2017
Priority date	Aug 11, 2017
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A tree feller-buncher includes a felling head having a saw blade, an engine carried by an undercarriage, a hydraulic system operably connected to the engine, at least one transient operably connected to the hydraulic system, and an electric system operably connected to the engine, the electric system configured to operate the saw blade.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tree feller-buncher comprising:
a felling head having a saw blade;
an engine carried by an undercarriage;
a hydraulic system operably connected to the engine;
at least one transient operably connected to the hydraulic system; and
an electric system operably connected to the engine, the electric system including:
a first electric machine configured to generate electricity in a first configuration;
a power inverter operably connected to the first electric machine;
an energy storage device operably connected to the power inverter; and
a second electric machine operably connected to the power inverter,
wherein in the first configuration, the second electric machine is configured to power rotation of the saw blade in a first direction to cut at least one tree, and
wherein in a second configuration, the second electric machine is configured to generate electricity from rotation of the saw blade.

2. The tree feller-buncher of claim 1 , wherein a torque on the second electric machine is reversed from the first configuration to the second configuration.

3. The tree feller-buncher of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device is a battery.

4. The tree feller-buncher of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device includes at least one battery cell.

5. The tree feller-buncher of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device includes at least one capacitor.

6. The tree feller-buncher of claim 1 , wherein the first electric machine is configured to receive electrical power from the energy storage device and the second electric machine.

7. The tree feller-buncher of claim 6 , wherein the engine is operably connected to a gear box, the gear box being operably connected to the hydraulic system and to the electric system.

8. The tree feller-buncher of claim 7 , wherein
in the first configuration, the gear box is configured to drive the hydraulic system and the first electric machine, and
in the second configuration, the first electric machine is configured to receive electrical power from one of the energy storage device or the second electric machine and drive the gear box.

9. The tree feller-buncher of claim 7 , wherein the gear box is configured to drive the engine in response to the engine being defueled.

10. The tree feller-buncher of claim 7 , wherein the first electric machine and the engine are both configured to drive the gear box in response to a high power draw by the hydraulic system.

11. The tree feller-buncher of claim 10 , wherein the first electric machine is configured to supplement power transmitted by the engine to the gear box.

12. The tree feller-buncher of claim 6 , wherein the first electric machine and the engine are both configured to drive the hydraulic system in response to a high power draw by the hydraulic system.

13. The tree feller-buncher of claim 1 , wherein the power inverter is configured to receive electrical power from the first electric machine and the energy storage device, and further configured to transfer the electrical power to the second electric machine.

14. The tree feller-buncher of claim 1 , wherein the second configuration is a braking configuration that brakes the saw blade.

15. A tree feller-buncher comprising:
a felling head having a saw blade;
an engine carried by an undercarriage;
a hydraulic system operably connected to the engine;
at least one transient operably connected to the hydraulic system; and
an electric system operably connected to the engine, the electric system including:
an electric generator configured to generate electricity in a first configuration;
a power inverter operably connected to the electric generator;
an energy storage device operably connected to the power inverter; and
an electric motor operably connected to the power inverter, the electric motor configured to operate the saw blade in the first configuration;

wherein the electric generator is configured to receive electrical power from the energy storage device and the electric motor, and
wherein the engine is operably connected to a gear box, the gear box being operably connected to the hydraulic system and to the electric system.

16. The tree feller-buncher of claim 15 ,
wherein in the first configuration, the electric motor is configured to power rotation of the saw blade in a first direction to cut at least one tree, and
wherein in a second configuration, the electric motor is configured to generate electricity from rotation of the saw blade.

17. The tree feller-buncher of claim 16 , wherein a torque on the electric motor is reversed from the first configuration to the second configuration.

18. The tree feller-buncher of claim 15 , wherein the power inverter is configured to receive electrical power from the electric generator and the energy storage device, and further configured to transfer the electrical power to the electric motor.

19. The tree feller-buncher of claim 16 , wherein the second configuration is a braking configuration that brakes the saw blade.

20. The tree feller-buncher of claim 15 , wherein the energy storage device is a battery.

21. The tree feller-buncher of claim 15 , wherein
in the first configuration, the gear box is configured to drive the hydraulic system and the electric generator, and
in a second configuration, the electric generator is configured to receive electrical power from one of the energy storage device or the electric motor and drive the gear box.

22. The tree feller-buncher of claim 15 , wherein the gear box is configured to drive the engine in response to the engine being defueled.

23. The tree feller-buncher of claim 15 , wherein the electric generator and the engine are both configured to drive the gear box in response to a high power draw by the hydraulic system.

24. The tree feller-buncher of claim 23 , wherein the electric generator is configured to supplement power transmitted by the engine to the gear box.

25. The tree feller-buncher of claim 15 , wherein the electric generator and the engine are both configured to drive the hydraulic system in response to a high power draw by the hydraulic system.

26. A tree feller-buncher comprising:
a felling head having a saw blade;
an engine carried by an undercarriage;
a hydraulic system operably connected to the engine;
at least one transient operably connected to the hydraulic system; and
an electric system operably connected to the engine, the electric system including an electric motor operably connected to the saw blade, the electric motor configured to operate in a first configuration or a second configuration,
wherein in the first configuration, the electric motor is configured to power rotation of the saw blade in a first direction to cut at least one tree, and
wherein in the second configuration, the electric motor is configured to generate electricity from rotation of the saw blade.

27. The tree feller-buncher of claim 26 , the electric system further comprising:
an electric generator configured to generate electricity in the first configuration;
a power inverter operably connected to the electric generator;
an energy storage device operably connected to the power inverter; and
the electric motor operably connected to the power inverter.

28. The tree feller-buncher of claim 26 , wherein a torque on the electric motor is reversed from the first configuration

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Agrawal Bhupesh
• West Sean Patrick

Classifications

• F03C1/00

  Reciprocating-piston liquid engines · CPC title

• F04B17/05

  driven by internal-combustion engines · CPC title

• F04B23/04

  Combinations of two or more pumps · CPC title

• F04B17/03

  driven by electric motors · CPC title

• F04B49/22

  by means of valves (F04B49/03 takes precedence) · CPC title