On the Design of Hybrid Tower Yarder Drivetrains: A Case Study

Meeting ever-tightening emission regulations and ambitious climate targets requires drastic efficiency improvements reduction across all sectors. Hybridization as an intermediary step towards electrification is a prominent approach to achieve this. Within the forestry sector, most equipment still relies on conventional mechanical or hydraulical drivetrains. This work focuses design of hybrid tower yarder drivetrains, in order facilitate technological transition more sustainable equipment. Tower duty cycle data are extracted from literature organized into set reference via Matlab simulations. Based typical performance requirements, various solutions studied for following key subsystems: energy storage, winch drive, source, dissipation. The objective determine performing considering system cost, performance, weight, durability. Challenging control considerations discussed algorithms presented. Further presented drivetrain architecture alternatives boost overall efficiency. best drivetrain, based large operation gathered other studies, finally subjected calculations case study involving 5-ton yarder. Results indicate that off-the-shelf electric drives, gearing, dissipation systems can satisfy including maximum power about 100 kW per drive. A 15–45 kWh power-dense battery pack energy-dense may be required cope with up 70 RMS, pointing need substantial overdesign confirming storage represents largest challenge. engine should at least 41.5 compensate combined average net consumption These results confirm feasibility hybridization potential recovery. especially true closed-loop setup, recovered 5 transport cycle. Finally, differences between proposed optimal commercial by Koller Forsttechnik discussed.