Drive systems and methods for an agricultural applicator

A method for operating a drive system of an agricultural vehicle, the method comprising:

• detecting, with a computing system, one or more defined operational conditions from one or more sensors of a vehicle including a chassis driven by a propulsion pump unit;
• assigning a first propulsion motor and a second propulsion motor to a first set or a second set when the one or more defined operational conditions are detected;
• and
• controlling a flow rate of the first set to operate at a first flow rate and the second set to operate at a second flow rate, the first flow rate less than the second flow rate.

A drive system for an agricultural vehicle, the drive system comprising:

• a chassis;
• a power plant operably coupled with the chassis;
• a propulsion pump unit connected to the power plant and configured to generate power through a flow of hydraulic fluid;
• a first propulsion motor fluidly coupled with the propulsion pump unit and configured to drive a first tractive force to a first wheel assembly, the first wheel assembly positioned fore of a latitudinal centerline of the chassis;
• a second propulsion motor fluidly coupled with the propulsion pump unit and configured to drive a second tractive force to a second wheel assembly, the second wheel assembly positioned aft of the latitudinal centerline of the chassis;
• a third propulsion motor fluidly coupled with the propulsion pump unit and configured to drive a third tractive force to a third wheel assembly, the third wheel assembly positioned aft of the latitudinal centerline of the chassis and on a common side of a longitudinal centerline of the chassis as the first wheel assembly;
• a fourth propulsion motor fluidly coupled with the propulsion pump unit and configured to drive a fourth tractive force to a fourth wheel assembly, the fourth wheel assembly positioned fore of the latitudinal centerline of the chassis and on a common side of the longitudinal centerline of the chassis as the second wheel assembly;
• a sensor configured to provide data indicative of one or more operational conditions;
• and
• a computing system operably coupled with the sensor, the first propulsion motor, the second propulsion motor, the third propulsion motor, and the fourth propulsion motor, the computing system including a processor and associated memory, the memory storing instructions that, when implemented by the processor, configure the computing system to:
• detect the one or more operational conditions based on the data from the sensor;
• assign the first propulsion motor, the second propulsion motor, the third propulsion motor, and the fourth propulsion motor to a first set or a second set when the one or more defined operational conditions are detected based on one or more assignment parameters;
• and
• control a flow rate of the first set to operate at a first flow rate and the second set to operate at a second flow rate, the first flow rate less than the second flow rate.