Advancement of Domestic Mobile Agricultural Machinery Powered by Electric Traction

Abstract

With the implementation of the GOELRO plan in the late 1920s and early 1930s, efforts were made to extend the use of electricity to agricultural fieldwork through the development of specialized machines and mechanisms. Numerous inventors, engineers, and scientists focused on finding ways to electrify energy-intensive agricultural operations. As a result, various designs of electric plows and electric tractors emerged. (Research purpose) The paper aims to analyze the development of electric tractors in the USSR during the period from 1930 to 1956. (Materials and methods) The study employs a chronological research method, examining scientific and technical publications, along with other sources, that address the manufacturing and testing of electric tractors. Conclusions were drawn through the analysis and synthesis of the reviewed materials. (Results and discussion) The initial phase of electrifying soil cultivation operations was marked by the development of plows powered by electric winches. In the early 1930s, tractors emerged with electric motors replacing traditional heat (internal combustion) engines. Advancements in electric tractor design led to the creation of tracked models such as the HTZ-15 (Kharkov) and ET-5-ENIN-VIESh (Moscow), which underwent extensive economic testing. The results indicated that the use of electric tractors in fi eld crop farming was unsuitable due to both technical and economic factors. (Conclusions) Between 1930 and 1956, at least 15 types of wheeled and tracked electric tractors were developed in the Soviet Union. Testing these models revealed both the advantages and drawbacks of electrified traction equipment. Despite their eff orts, mid-twentieth-century engineers were unable to resolve the technical challenges associated with the implementation of electric tractors, leading to the termination of the project in 1956.