As of this September the first larger models of Fendt’s new 1000 Vario tractor will be delivered by Fendt. The tractor’s innovative cooling system is based on Voith fan technology. With a background in the rail vehicle industry, Voith is a market leader in the development of efficient cooling systems. In future, this expertise will also be applied in the world’s most powerful standard tractor (up to 500hP). The Voith fan is decoupled from the engine speed by its own hydraulic motor and saves more than half the energy and fuel consumption when compared to standard components.
With its newly developed Concentric Air System (CAS), Fendt is the first manufacturer in the agriculture vehicle industry to also meet the highest technological standards in terms of cooling technology. The basis of the CAS is the fan, which is placed in a pressing arrangement in front of the cooler unit and the engine. As a result, the cold air with a higher density is drawn in from outside the vehicle and further compressed by the high aerodynamic efficiency. This increases the pressure in comparison to the intake configuration used up until now in tractors, where the fan is positioned directly in front of the engine, and allows for an enormous volume flow of up to 7m³/s.
Without large cooling packages, the CAS can be designed significantly more compact, allowing the entire system to move closer to the driver’s cab. The shorter, narrower hood extends the driver’s line of sight over the terrain ahead. At the same time, an improved steering angle increases the agility of the vehicle.
On average, the new Voith fan requires input power of 8kW, less than half that of a standard fan. As a total system, CAS reduces consumption by up to 70%.
The fan has its own hydrostatic drive and therefore always provides the cooling capacity required, regardless of the engine speed. Using CFD simulations, the Voith development team designed the blade geometry in accordance with the individual operating parameters of the 1000 Vario. Additionally, the team also supported Fendt in vehicle design and during hood design in order to achieve optimum airflow.
The unit is assembled in series production in Heidenheim, Germany. At its headquarters Voith has set up a new assembly line for commercial vehicle fans in addition to the existing structures for assembling its cooling systems for rail vehicles.
While Voith only recently entered the field of agricultural machinery and special vehicles with its fan technology, the Hydrodamp vibration damper is already firmly established in the sector. In the Fendt 1000 Vario, it is placed in front of the Vario transmission to reduce critical torsional vibration of the engine and shift resonant frequencies to non-critical speed ranges. This extends the lifetime of all components in the drive train and increases availability.
Additionally, the Hydrodamp allows the vehicle to run at lower speeds, further reducing fuel consumption.
