| 摘要 |
<p>In the field of agricultural tractor / implement combinations, there have been numerous attempts at improving the efficiency of isolated sub-systems such as the engine, the implement control and the transmission. Such sub-systems have individually successfully been automated, but previous attempts to automate the entire control of a tractor during eg. ploughing operations have previously failed. The disclosure relates to a tractor implement combination (10) including a control apparatus comprising a plurality of microprocessors (21,40-45, 48). The microprocessors (21,40-45 & 48) are arranged in a hierarchical control strategy that includes a steady state reference model of various performance parameters of the tractor / implement combination. The tractor / implement combination can therefore be controlled in an automated, integrated way such that the tractor operator does not have to operate any of the sub-systems yet the performance is maximised against a chosen criterion (eg. minimum fuel consumption, maximum work rate, etc). <IMAGE></p> |
