Versatile electric prime mover for agriculture: A solution for small farmers

S P SINGH; ADARSH KUMAR; H L KUSHWAHA; UTPAL EKKA; M K SINGH; K K SINGH

doi:10.56093/ijas.v91i5.113075

Authors

S P SINGH ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
ADARSH KUMAR ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
H L KUSHWAHA ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
UTPAL EKKA ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
M K SINGH ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
K K SINGH Indian Council of Agricultural Research, KAB-II, Pusa, New Delhi

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v91i5.113075

Keywords:

Battery-powered, BLDC motor, Electric power, Farm mechanization, Prime mover

Abstract

Amongst various sources of farm power, electrical power through stored electric energy is a potential source to meet the current challenge in agriculture. At ICAR-IARI, an attempt was made to use battery-power for developing a walk behind equipment with 250-800W DC/BLDCC motors for sowing, weeding, cutting and performing operations on a common platform during 2015-20. The study further led to developing a Versatile Electric Prime Mover for Agriculture (VEPMA) using 1.5 kW BLDC motor with the provision of various attachments that can meet the need of small farmers. The VEPMA is assessed to be an economically viable unit with a saving of 5-liter diesel fuel per ha and 5 to 10 times economical to tractor and power tiller operations. Its adoption in one percent cultivable area (1.4 million ha) in India can result in the net saving of approximately 32 million litres of diesel and reduce 85000 tons of CO2 in the atmosphere.

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