Farmer seeks the future

Fuel cell tractor revolutionizes arable farming

This STEYR tractor is powered by a fuel cell.

(Bild: STEYR Traktoren / Julia Hinterdorfer)

Austria's agriculture is on the brink of a green revolution: fuel cell tractors could soon replace conventional diesel models. They are lighter than electric tractors and therefore do not destroy valuable arable land. The TU Vienna is making great progress with its research project.

But how does a fuel cell tractor actually work? In a fuel cell, hydrogen reacts with oxygen from the ambient air to form water - generating electrical energy. This electricity is used to drive the tractor via an electric motor. "The special thing about this is that only water vapor escapes as exhaust gas, which allows it to be used in enclosed spaces such as stables," explains Christian Junger. He is a member of the FCTRAC development team at the Institute for Vehicle Drives and Automotive Technology at TU Wien.

Hydrogen is important for the energy transition
There is still a catch: the hydrogen infrastructure in Austria still needs to be expanded. Although there are currently only a few public filling stations, efforts are already being made to develop them further. Hydrogen plays a central role in Austria's energy transition, partly due to its ability to store energy in the long term.

Research team with fuel cell tractor - from left to right: Christian Junger, Rudolf Krizan, Christian Varlese with Professors Peter Hofmann and Johannes Konrad.

(Bild: ÖVK / Klaus Ranger)

Another advantage of hydrogen is that it could be a cheaper alternative to fossil fuels in the future. "Current prices are around €23.99 per kilogram of hydrogen, which can be used to travel around 100 kilometers. Due to planned scaling in production, it is expected that costs will fall in the coming years," says Rudolf Krizan. The engineer is also researching the fuel cell tractor. 

Farmers can produce fuel from biomass
The project also shows how farmers can produce hydrogen using biomass. The research is already at an advanced stage: "The hydrogen production plant and the associated filling station have already been built and trial operation is underway," the experts add.

A battery-powered tractor would be significantly heavier and increase ground pressure - something farmers are keen to avoid.

Rudolf Krizan ist im Entwicklerteam des sogenannten FCTRAC am Institut für Fahrzeugantriebe und Automobiltechnik der TU Wien

However, there were still technical challenges, particularly when it came to integrating the new technology into a standard tractor. "The biggest challenge was to accommodate all the components in a space-saving manner, as the driver always has to keep an eye on the front wheels to avoid damaging any plants," explains Junger in an interview with Krone.

Advantages of a fuel cell vehicle: "A tractor with a battery drive would be significantly heavier and increase the ground pressure - something that farmers want to avoid at all costs," says Krizan. 

Progressive projects in the field of automotive technology
The Institute of Vehicle Drives and Automotive Engineering at TU Wien is currently conducting extensive research into alternative drives. Among other things, it has developed a water-glycol cooling system for electric motors. This regulates the operating temperature and ensures optimum performance. Our politicians also believe in these developments, as they are supported by the Climate and Energy Fund.

Numerous projects such as the advanced tractor will also be on display at the Long Night of Research on May 24 from 5 to 11 pm at the Test and Development Center at Franz-Grill-Straße 8 in the 3rd district. On this evening, the TU Wien team will provide insights into their work.

Here is all the information about the event.