By 2045, mobile agricultural machinery must also be converted to renewable drive energies. Alongside other alternatives, electric power is promising due to its widespread availability and high system efficiency. Obstacles include the low energy density of batteries and additional infrastructure costs. A universal solution for all agricultural processes is not to be expected, so unconventional approaches should also be explored.
This thesis examines three energy supply scenarios: (1) grid-connected and battery-powered soil cultivation (230 kW; 6 m) using a wide-span system and a battery swapping system, (2) battery-powered soil cultivation (110 kW; 3 m) with a battery swapping system, and (3) self-propelled field sprayer (100 kW; 36 m) with a permanently installed battery. Using the agricultural process simulation of the TU Braunschweig, energy requirements and operating costs for 2030 and 2045 are forecast in comparison to diesel-based supply. In soil cultivation, battery swapping and charging times reduce the area output of electric systems. By using process-related downtime to charge the battery, the battery-powered self-propelled field sprayer achieves the same area output as the diesel-powered version. By 2045, electric power supply systems will become more economical, driven by falling purchase prices for machinery and infrastructure and rising diesel costs as a result of higher CO₂ prices. In future, optimised charging and swapping strategies, business models for sharing infrastructure costs among several agricultural businesses, charging capacities above 200 kW, power grid expansion and medium-voltage connections for agricultural businesses will be necessary.