U.S. Patent Awarded for Mobile Power Conversion and Distribution System
Motivo Engineering announced their latest patent, US 10,046,641 B2, for a vehicle in the form of a tractor that features a Mobile Power Conversion and Distribution System. The system is showcased on their prototype tractor titled HARVEST, a Motivo concept that was developed and deployed for testing through a Powering Agriculture Grant from USAID. “In order to meet the increasing global food demands in a sustainable manner, new tools and approaches are needed to support the farming community. Compared to traditional tractors and generators, HARVEST has shown success in providing significant cost benefits while increasing the utilization of clean energy in farming.” says Praveen Penmetsa, CEO Motivo Engineering.
With HARVEST, Motivo proposed and developed a multi-purpose shareable mobile power delivery system for agriculture. Consisting of a power module integrated within a tractor, Motivo’s HARVEST system provides mobility, rotary power and electrical power from a single zero-emission platform. Based on a now-patented power electronics architecture developed by Motivo, HARVEST collects power from solar panels, wind turbines or intermittent electrical grids, stores that power in an on-board battery, then delivers it on-demand. HARVEST can be rented, tracked and updated via cell network, resulting in increased year round utilization compared to a traditional tractor. HARVEST is flexible, extensible, and scalable. HARVEST power modules can be tied together to form a micro-grid with scaled up output capability; it is both a “swiss-army knife” for agricultural power, and a platform for local innovation. “The successful completion of a year long test program in India has proven the technical viability, business feasibility and most importantly adoption in Indian farming communities. Our success in the very challenging Indian environment coupled to the issuance of the patent will see an acceleration in our efforts”, says Praveen Penmetsa. Motivo Engineering is currently developing the next model of HARVEST which will incorporate additional innovations in sensors, software, energy storage and propulsion technology.
Motivo Engineering is an innovation engineering firm headquartered in California, USA. Motivo has helped clients develop and globally deploy technologies ranging from driverless cars to automated planting robots. Motivo’s unique innovation framework has reduced the risks in transformative product development for clients ranging from early stage start-ups to global conglomerates in the mobility, ag-tech and aerospace market segments.
